Two former officials with the Alexander County Housing Authority face a civil fraud complaint accusing them of using public housing money for personal use.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced the complaint Tuesday against former housing authority executive directors James Wilson and Martha Franklin.
HUD is seeking 125 civil penalties against Wilson and Franklin totaling $720,000 and another $188,000 in assessments based upon false claims the two made with respect to funds provided by the federal agency.
HUD accuses them of using the money for personal travel and gifts and submitting false documentation. The agency says Wilson and Franklin overstated travel expenses and sometimes double-charged the housing authority, including for hotel stays in Las Vegas.
The housing authority has been plagued by mismanagement and other problems. Earlier this year HUD said it plans to demolish two housing complexes in Cairo, displacing almost 200 families.
