Austin City Employee Charged with Embezzlement of Killeen Housing Authority Funds

An employee of the City of Austin has been shackled with federal embezzlement charges, accused of pilfering funds from the City of Killeen where she formerly held the executive director position at the Killeen Housing Authority (KHA). DeAdra Johnson, 52, is alleged to have siphoned nearly $70,000 designated for public housing programs and utilized them to financially buoy personal expenses including vehicle payments, rent, and even a personal vacation. According to an indictment brought by the U.S. Department of Justice, and reported by KVUE, Johnson faces nine counts of theft of government property and one count of making a false statement.

Serving as the KHA's executive director from January 2019 to August 2022, Johnson was responsible for overseeing an organization that once managed upwards of 50 public housing units and facilitated housing programs to aid low-income families to afford leases and purchases. This crucial linchpin of the Killeen community has since been dissolved, but not before Johnson could allegedly redirect federal HUD funds to cover her expenditures. According to a spokesperson from the City of Austin in a statement to KXAN, this worrying revelation comes to light as she currently remains employed as a project coordinator, a role which thankfully does not involve the handling of funds.

The weight of the federal charges could lead Johnson to face a prison term of up to 95 years, a decision resting in the hands of a federal district judge. Both HUD's Office of Inspector General and the FBI have their lenses focused on this case, peeling back layers of deceit in search of justice. Johnson now waits to battle against the evidence of misappropriated government property and the blemish of false statements, as she clings to her current position with the City of Austin.

Though ensnared in legal turmoil, the City of Austin has pledged to uphold its stance as a fair chance employer. "We are aware that the employee has been indicted on charges related to her former employer. As a fair chance employer, the City addresses these types of situations on a case-by-case basis. As soon as the City is made aware of the situation, we conduct an investigation.  As part of that investigation, we consider whether or not the charges have any relation or impact on the employee’s ability to perform theirjob with the City of Austin," their spokesperson elucidated to KXAN. This commitment seems to stand strong even as Johnson navigates the stormy seas of federal courtrooms.