The U.S. Office of the Special Inspector General for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (SIGTARP) and U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York William J. Hochul Jr., have announced that Lori J. Macakanja of Dunkirk, N.Y., who was convicted of mail fraud and theft of government money, was sentenced to 72 months in prison and three years of supervised release by U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Arcara. Judge Arcara also ordered the defendant to pay $298,639 in restitution to the victims.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross, who handled the case, stated that Macakanja, in her capacity as a housing counselor employed by HomeFront Inc., inappropriately requested money from clients. The defendant told HomeFront clients that the money would be used toward loan modifications to prevent foreclosure on their homes. However, after receiving the funds, Macakanja used the money for her own personal use, including gambling, and failed to obtain the loan modifications for the victims.
A total of 136 HomeFront clients were defrauded with losses totaling approximately $300,000. In addition, Macakanja also obtained federal grant monies from the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency (BURA) for HomeFront clients. On two occasions, she diverted $2,000 worth of BURA money to pay her own personal mortgage.
"Macakanja preyed on the most vulnerable homeowners," said Christy Romero, Deputy Special Inspector General for SIGTARP. "While an employee of a federally-approved housing counselor, she illegally solicited and received payments from 136 homeowners facing foreclosure with the promise that the funds would be used to secure mortgage modifications. Little did the homeowners know, the payments were being used by Macakanja to support her gambling habit and to pay her own mortgage. SIGTARP will aggressively investigate and pursue those who exploit the federal government's aid to homeowners under TARP and, with the help of its partners in law enforcement, ensure that they are brought to justice."
