In a legal turn of events, Woodward County residents Breanna Parada and Monica Montes have come to terms with the consequences of their actions related to fraudulent claims for emergency rental aid. A release from the U.S. Attorney's Office detailed the nature of these allegations and the subsequent resolutions. Both individuals, entangled in a deceptive ploy to acquire COVID-related Emergency Rental Assistance funds from the Cheyenne and Arapaho Housing Authority, submitted false applications claiming a rental status for a home they did not, in fact, rent.
As per the U.S. Attorney's Office release, Parada presented a fraudulent lease agreement, eviction notices, and utility payment notices to support her claim, which saw her illicitly obtain $5,564.84. Montes, tangled in the scheme, received $200.00 from these ill-gotten funds. The legal resolution mandates Parada to pay a sum of $19,025.00 via a Consent Judgment, while Montes will settle with a payment of $1,000.00 without admitting to any liability, the details of which surface as cautionary tales of accountability.
This development in the case signifies an attempt to make amends for the deceit and abuse of a system meant to help those struggling amid the pandemic. The United States District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma, through its instated Consent Judgment, has closed the case against Parada, and Montes has reached a settlement agreement. In doing so, the parties have sidestepped the potential drawn-out process of litigation that could have ensued.
Investigators from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Office of Inspector General, and Office of Investigations played a pivotal role in bringing the particulars of this fraud to light. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gallegos prosecuted the case, ensuring such misuse of emergency funds did not go unnoticed in Woodward County.
