An Arizona man was sentenced on Wednesday for stealing thousands of dollars in federal funding by defrauding the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) housing assistance program.
Jalil Al-Kinani was sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation for the felony and ordered to pay $13,784 in restitution to HUD, according to the Arizona Attorney General’s Office.
“When individuals steal taxpayer-funded resources meant to help our most vulnerable neighbors, they’re not just committing fraud — they’re undermining the systems that keep families housed and communities stable,” Attorney General Kris Mayes said in a press release.
Details on how Al-Kinani defrauded housing assistance program
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Al-Kinani misrepresented his employment status and income to HUD to get housing assistance between June 2019 and November 2020.
On his paperwork, Al-Kinani stated that he was unemployed and earned approximately $100 per month. In reality, he was employed and earned about $60,000 that year.
Al-Kinani received $13,784 for falsely reporting his income, which is the same amount he will be compelled to pay in restitution.
“This outcome reinforces our commitment to protecting the integrity of taxpayer funded programs that are meant to provide critical housing assistance to the most vulnerable in our communities,” HUD Office of Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Robert Lawler said in the release.
