ATLANTA — A former executive with the Atlanta Housing Authority is accused of orchestrating an elaborate scheme that federal prosecutors say siphoned more than $200,000 in government funds for personal use and to benefit family members.
On Friday, former Atlanta Housing Authority Senior Vice President Tracy Jones was indicted for conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, wire fraud and credit application fraud.
Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Ashli Lincoln went through the indictment and learned that Jones is accused of using her position between 2018 and 2023 to falsify housing documents and improperly approve Section 8 housing vouchers for a family member.
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Investigators allege she helped her son’s child’s mother qualify for the vouchers and then took additional steps to allow those vouchers to be used outside Atlanta city limits.
Federal prosecutors say Jones allegedly had her son’s girlfriend fabricate a domestic violence incident to justify using Atlanta-issued Section 8 vouchers at a home in Fayetteville, about 24 miles outside the city. Court records show Jones owns that Fayetteville property.
Investigators allege Jones collected more than $36,000 in rental payments tied to the vouchers between 2019 and 2023, while simultaneously allowing her family member to live in a home she owned.
Former Atlanta Housing Authority employees told Channel 2 Action News the allegations have damaged trust in the agency.
“It’s going to make people question everything about the process, the system,” said one former employee, who asked not to be identified.
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The indictment also accuses Jones of using the Fayetteville home as the address for a shell company, New Beginning Restoration Project Inc., to fraudulently obtain pandemic relief funds.
Prosecutors say Jones submitted multiple falsified Small Business Administration loan applications, claiming she was the company’s CEO and sole owner and that the business generated more than $56,000 in revenue.
Investigators say the company had no employees and no legitimate income. Prosecutors allege Jones ultimately received more than $27,000 in pandemic relief funds.
In addition, Jones is accused of falsifying documents to refinance the Fayetteville home for more than $200,000.
Channel 2 Action News began investigating the allegations in 2023 after receiving tips from Atlanta Housing Authority employees. At the time, the agency declined to release records related to the claims.
Jones was released on a $10,000 bond. Lincoln spoke with her on Tuesday, and she said she did not want to comment at this time.
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