Leonard C Boyle, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Christina D. Scaringi, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging DONNA CARNEY, 66, of Canton, with one count of theft of government property.
The indictment was returned on November 16. Carney appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge. She is released on $50,000 bond pending trial.
As alleged in the indictment, in approximately 1995, Carney began receiving Section 8 tenant-based rental assistance under the housing choice voucher program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (“HUD”). From approximately 2004 to 2019, Carney failed to report to HUD that she was married to her landlord and therefore had an interest in the home in which she lived, failed to report certain others living in her home, and falsely claimed that unauthorized residents were live-in aides.
If convicted of the charge, Carney faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Acting U.S. Attorney Boyle stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General for Investigations and the Canton Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry.
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