Arizona man who defrauded government housing assistance program sentenced

PHOENIX — An Arizona man who stole thousands of dollars in federal funding by defrauding a U.S. Department of Housing Urban Development (HUD) housing assistance program was sentenced on Wednesday, authorities announced.

Jalil Al-Kinani was sentenced to 18 months of supervised probation for the crime and was also ordered to pay $13,784 to HUD in restitution, 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 in order to obtain housing assistance from June 2019 to November 2020.

On his paperwork, Al-Kinani put that he was unemployed and had an income of around $100 per month. In reality, he was employed and received almost $60,000 that year.

Due to his falsely reported income, Al-Kinani received $13,784 — the same amount he will be required 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.

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