Three former Chester Housing Authority (CHA) officials and a contractor are now awaiting their fate behind bars, facing hard time for pocketing cash meant for public housing. Norman D. Wise, former Director of Public Housing, along with his right-hand man Douglas E. Daniel, and accomplice contractor Leonard F. Coleman, were sentenced this week for their roles in bribery and fraud schemes, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
In a classic tale of corruption, Wise, 58, received a 37-month sentence on Monday for his one-man show defrauding CHA and the federal government. His protege, Daniel, 65, didn't fare much better, getting 13 months and a day in the slammer on Tuesday. Meanwhile, their partner in crime, Coleman, 54, got off with just one week of imprisonment. All were charged last August, and these sentencings mark an end to a sad chapter for CHA, which has been grappling with limited resources, as per the statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero minced no words when she noted the defendants "lined their pockets at the expense of an agency tasked with the critically important mission of providing affordable housing." She emphasized their actions amounted to a betrayal of public trust. The FBI and HUD OIG echoed Romero's sentiments, vowing relentless pursuit and justice for those exploiting systems intended to assist the community.
For Wise and Daniel, who billed the CHA for bogus contracting work to the tune of $544,967, their restitution payments will be a hefty sum, to say the least. Coleman, for his part in the bribery scheme, will be coughing up $68,502. The stark contrast in sentences reflects the variations in their involvement and plea bargains. As the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Special Agent in Charge Vicky Vazquez put it, the defendants blatantly "committed fraud" that diverted precious federal funds away from the low-income families for whom it was intended.
This costly lesson for the trio was brought to light by a thorough investigation led by the FBI and HUD OIG, followed by a prosecution mounted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.
