A Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority property manager in Cleveland Heights is facing a stack of felony charges after investigators say she quietly rerouted a resident’s rent payment into her own bank account. The manager, 37-year-old Dominique Clayton, worked for CMHA as a property manager, according to court records, and the case has tenants asking some tough questions about how the agency tracks and safeguards rent payments.
According to Cleveland.com, Clayton is charged with theft in office, tampering with records, telecommunications fraud and forgery. Investigators say she altered a tenant’s money order so that her own name appeared as the payee, then deposited it using a mobile banking app. CMHA police, according to the report, obtained a subpoena for bank records they believe back up the claim that the rent money was diverted. The Plain Dealer and Cleveland.com reported that they called phone numbers listed for Clayton seeking comment.
The housing authority runs its own police department and provides resident resources, payment instructions and contact phone numbers on its CMHA site. According to its public pages, CMHA’s online portals are the standard routes for paying rent and handling tenant questions. The website also lists Main Campus and Police Department contact information for residents dealing with billing or safety issues.
Court records reviewed by Cleveland.com show police secured an arrest warrant for Clayton on Jan. 30, 2026. She was arrested on Feb. 13, 2026, then released on a personal bond on Feb. 17, 2026. Prosecutors plan to take the case to a Cuyahoga County grand jury, which will decide whether to issue formal indictments. Clayton has not been convicted of any crimes and, like any defendant, is presumed innocent while the case moves through the courts.
What tenants should know
Tenants in CMHA properties who are worried about their own accounts should start with the basics: review your receipts and money order stubs and compare them with what shows up in your rent records. If something looks off, contact CMHA’s Client Services or the police non-emergency number listed on the CMHA website. The agency’s online “Pay Rent” and resident portals outline how to document payments and how to dispute charges on your account. Holding on to money order receipts, confirmation numbers or bank statements can be important if investigators or prosecutors later ask for proof.
Legal process
The accusations against Clayton are just that for now: allegations. She remains presumed innocent while Cuyahoga County’s legal system does its work. If the grand jury decides to return indictments, the case would move to arraignment and could eventually head to trial in county court. How prosecutors and defense attorneys interpret the bank records and other documents will play a major role in whether the charges survive pretrial challenges and ever reach a jury.
