CAIRO, Ill. (AP) — Two former officials with a southern Illinois housing authority face a 125-penalty federal civil fraud complaint accusing them of using public housing money for personal use.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the complaint Tuesday against former Alexander County Housing Authority executive directors James Wilson and Martha Franklin.
HUD accuses them of using the money for personal travel and gifts and submitting false documentation. The agency says Wilson and Franklin overstated travel expenses and sometimes double-charged the housing authority, including for hotel stays in Las Vegas.
The housing authority has been plagued by mismanagement and other problems. Earlier this year HUD said it will demolish two housing complexes in the city of Cairo, displacing about 200 families.
Wilson and Franklin don’t have listed home phone numbers where they can be reached for comment.
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