State investigators say two metro Atlanta women turned a pandemic lifeline into their own personal payout, siphoning more than $36,000 from a rental assistance program that was supposed to keep families housed during Covid.
Authorities identified the suspects as 44-year-old Jasmin Grant of Jonesboro and 56-year-old Theresa Davis of East Point. Investigators say both women were working at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs through a temporary staffing agency when the alleged scheme took place, and that some of the relief payments were funneled into personal bank accounts.
According to WSB Radio, prosecutors allege the pair used the identities of three people to file applications for pandemic rental assistance, pulling in more than $36,000 from the program. Both women are charged with identity fraud, and Grant faces an additional count of making false statements, the outlet reports.
State Agency Warns Of Rental-Assistance Scams
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs has been sounding the alarm about rental-assistance scams and notes that the Georgia Rental Assistance portal has been closed to new applications since May 2023. In a public notice, DCA stresses that it does not charge application fees and that any request for payment through Cash App, Venmo or similar services should be treated as a scam and reported.
The agency reminds renters that legitimate program staff will not ask for money to speed up an application or secure benefits, and that official communication will come through verified government channels, not random texts or social media messages.
Prosecutors Step Up Enforcement
The case lands in the middle of a broader enforcement push by state officials. Earlier this year, the Georgia Attorney General’s White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit secured indictments in a nearly $230,000 Covid-era rental-assistance scheme that also involved alleged misuse of DCA access. In a press release, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said, “The Emergency Rental Assistance program was meant to provide critical relief to Georgia families who needed it most,” underscoring his office’s focus on pandemic-fraud prosecutions.
State officials have repeatedly framed these cases as more than just accounting crimes, arguing that every dollar diverted through fraud is a dollar that never reaches tenants on the brink of eviction or landlords trying to stay afloat.
Legal Implications
Identity fraud in Georgia is addressed in state statute, as summarized by Justia, and can carry significant penalties if prosecutors secure a conviction.
Prosecutors have not released court dates in the current case. Anyone with information about this investigation or possible related fraud is encouraged to contact the Georgia Attorney General’s Office and the Georgia Department of Community Affairs. DCA’s public notice lists a Housing Choice Voucher helpline at (470) 802-4707 for suspected scams and questions, and the agency urges Georgians to report suspicious contact through official channels.
