A Brooklyn woman has been arrested and charged with allegedly using spoofed documents to obtain state-funded affordable housing. Adina Hodges, 37, faces charges of offering a false instrument for filing and perjury for submitting falsified income and employment information to a housing management company, according to the New York City Department of Investigation (DOI).
Authorities state that on July 2, 2021, Hodges submitted a "reaffirmation of income" form, attesting to the authenticity of a previously submitted "tenant income certification" form. This form was provided to a company acting as an agent for the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal.
An investigation by the DOI revealed that the reaffirmation was allegedly false. The department stated that Hodges submitted fraudulent bank records, pay stubs, and an employment verification letter in an effort to secure the housing.
Prosecutors allege that Hodges communicated via email with Rodney Billings, who is accused of creating and selling forged financial documents. Hodges reportedly paid Billings for these fraudulent records. Billings himself faces multiple charges from an arrest last June for allegedly creating and selling fake financial documents to at least two individuals, including an undercover DOI investigator.
"According to the charges, this defendant allegedly used false information to apply for and receive affordable housing," said DOI Commissioner Nadia I. Shihata in a statement. "Affordable housing is a scarce resource that is compromised when it is exploited by fraud. I am committed to protecting the integrity of affordable housing and ensuring that this resource is available to those who qualify for it."
Hodges was arraigned and released without bail. She is scheduled to return to court on October 8. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison.