Woman Pleads Guilty to Housing Subsidy Fraud Charge

Genevieve Simmons of the Bronx, New York, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence M. McKenna in Manhattan federal court to falsely obtaining Section 8 federal housing subsidies. According to Lev L. Dassin, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, Simmons worked as a correction officer with the New York City Department of Correction from approximately 1990 through 2008. From April 2003 through March 2007, Simmons received Section 8 housing subsidies from HUD by falsely claiming that she was unemployed. These housing subsidies are intended for individuals who meet low-income and other eligibility requirements. By misrepresenting that she had no employment income, Simmons pled to obtaining more than $40,000 in federal housing subsidies to which she was not entitled.