An Atlanta city official is facing serious federal charges after being accused of defrauding the U.S. government of more than $60,000 through multiple assistance programs.

Tracy Denise Jones, a senior vice president at the Atlanta Housing Authority, was indicted on Monday for allegedly orchestrating a complex scheme involving fraudulent Section 8 housing assistance claims, false applications for COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, and mortgage fraud. The indictment was announced in a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

According to federal prosecutors, Jones abused her senior leadership position within one of the nation’s largest housing authorities to unlawfully obtain government funds intended for low-income families and small businesses in need. U.S. Attorney Theodore Hertzberg emphasized the seriousness of the allegations, stating that Jones had been entrusted with overseeing the distribution of substantial public assistance but instead allegedly chose to enrich herself.

“Rather than serving the community’s most vulnerable residents, Jones is accused of exploiting multiple federal programs,” Hertzberg said. He added that she allegedly relied on an alternate identity, shell companies, falsified affidavits, and the cooperation of associates willing to provide false information on her behalf.

Jones, 61, had served as senior vice president of the Housing Choice Voucher Program since April 2017. The program, commonly known as Section 8, is one of the largest of its kind in the United States and provides rental assistance to low-income households. Following her indictment, the Atlanta Housing Authority appointed an interim senior vice president to oversee the program.

Prosecutors noted that housing authority employees are generally prohibited from receiving Section 8 benefits for their own properties, and landlords participating in the program are not allowed to lease units to close family members. Despite these restrictions, Jones allegedly submitted falsified documentation to enroll her relatives in the Section 8 program and then collected rental payments for housing them in a property she owned.

Authorities claim Jones concealed her involvement by using a fake name and a shell business entity, enabling her to improperly obtain more than $36,000 in Section 8 payments. When investigators later began examining the irregularities, Jones is accused of attempting to obstruct the investigation by submitting a false affidavit and persuading friends to lie and provide fabricated documents.

In addition to the housing assistance allegations, prosecutors say Jones fraudulently obtained more than $27,000 through COVID-19 relief programs administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration. She allegedly claimed that her businesses were operational, employed multiple workers, and generated over $56,000 in revenue in 2019—statements investigators say were untrue.

When one SBA application was initially denied, Jones reportedly appealed the decision, portraying herself as an honest business owner and emphasizing her claimed service to low-income communities. In her appeal, she denied engaging in the type of abuse that plagued pandemic relief programs nationwide, despite prosecutors alleging otherwise.

Jones is also accused of committing mortgage fraud while refinancing a Section 8 rental property. According to the indictment, she falsely stated on a loan application for nearly $220,000 that the property was her primary residence, was not used as a rental, and that she owned no other real estate.

She was arraigned on Friday on federal charges including conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, wire fraud, and credit application fraud.

Jerome Winkle, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General, said Jones’s alleged conduct undermined public trust and threatened access to housing assistance for vulnerable populations. He emphasized that HUD OIG will continue working closely with federal prosecutors to hold accountable anyone who abuses HUD-funded programs.

The Atlanta Housing Authority released a brief statement Monday afternoon, citing the ongoing legal proceedings and declining to comment further. The agency confirmed it would follow all appropriate internal and external review protocols.

Later that evening, the authority announced that Shannon Linsey had been appointed interim senior vice president of the Housing Choice Voucher Program, effective immediately. Linsey previously served as vice president of housing operations and oversaw the management of the authority’s properties.