Portland Affordable Housing Funds Embezzled by Florida Woman, Nearly $1.4 Million Misappropriated due to Wire Fraud
Portland, OR: A Florida woman embezzled nearly USD 1.4 Million from an affordable housing project in Portland.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office reported Thursday that a Florida woman was arraigned on charges of laundering $1.4 million that was intended for an affordable housing project in the City of Portland.
On seven counts, including first-degree aggravated theft, aggravated identity theft, felony computer crime, two counts of laundering monetary instruments, and two counts of criminal conspiracy to commit laundering monetary instruments, 39-year-old Chantail Williams was arraigned on a secret grand jury indictment.
Authorities learned that someone had compromised the email account of a Portland Housing Bureau employee on May 26, 2022, and the City of Portland’s computer network was breached as a result.
On April 25, 2022, authorities discovered that a bank account in Florida had been fraudulently transferred around $1.4 million that was supposed to be used for an affordable housing project by Central City Concern. According to authorities, Williams was in charge of the LLC’s bank account.
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According to officials, Williams used that bank account to move money to other accounts, the most common of which was an account in Mexico. The authorities also discovered that she spent $25,000 on a car and furniture using a card linked to the account.
A warrant for Williams’ arrest was issued after she was indicted in February 2024. On Wednesday, she was transferred to Multnomah County custody, according to authorities. She was later apprehended in Florida.
A $100,000 security release was ordered by the court at her arraignment.