Home Louisville Press Releases 2009 Jefferson County Grant Writer Pleads Guilty to Defrauding the United States
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Jefferson County Grant Writer Pleads Guilty to Defrauding the United States

U.S. Attorney’s Office September 10, 2009
  • Western District of Kentucky (502) 582-5911

LOUISVILLE, KY—The United States Attorney filed a three-count information on September 9, 2009, against Yvette Crayton Goodwin, age 50, of Louisville, Kentucky, in Jefferson County, on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, kickback of federal funds, and submitting a false writing to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Goodwin also entered a guilty plea to the above charges.

The information alleges that between February 25, 1998, through November 2, 2005, Goodwin and other co-conspirators agreed to commit offenses against the United States, including soliciting and receiving kickbacks of federal funds, submitting a false report to justify expenditures, and executing a scheme to defraud by using the wire transfers. The information states that approximately $1,825,000 million in federal and other funds had been designated for use on reconstruction and rehabilitation on the Maupin Building. Other than construction of a new roof to the building and installation of an elevator in the building, which were completed at a total cost of approximately $350,000, little additional construction and remodeling work has been performed on or about and inside the Maupin Building. The building is dilapidated.

In her plea entered in open court on September 9, 2009, Goodwin admitted that she was the consultant and grant writer for the Shiloh Baptist Community Renewal Center (SCRC). She admitted that she and others conspired to defraud the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) by soliciting federal grant funds by representing that the monies would be used solely for the rehabilitation and remodeling of the Maupin School into a Senior Living Center when, in fact, the defendant and co-conspirators intended and did expend substantial and material amounts of these funds for purposes other than the rehabilitation and construction of the Maupin School into a Senior Living Center, including diverting grant monies for her personal benefit and gain, and for the benefit and gain of other individuals and entities not legally entitled to the receipt of funds derived from the grant monies. The conspiracy was accomplished by three separate criminal acts.

First, Goodwin admitted that in furtherance of the goal and purpose of the conspiracy that she and others knowingly and intentionally directed HUD grant monies to be illegally diverted to a co-conspirator in the form of kickbacks. A co-conspirator obtained kickbacks from proceeds of grant monies by authorizing payments of grant monies to specific individuals, including, thereafter, knowingly soliciting and receiving payments back from these same individuals of portions of the monies authorized to be paid to these persons.

Second, she admitted that in furtherance of the goal and purpose of the conspiracy she and other co-conspirators created and reinforced the false impression that a co-conspirator was not personally receiving federal grant funds from HUD designated for the rehabilitation of the SCRC Senior Living Center Project. To accomplish that end, Goodwin prepared a false document to justify payment to the co-conspirator and submitted it to HUD.

Third, Goodwin also admitted that she and other co-conspirators aided and abetted by each other and others, knowingly and intentionally devised and intended to devise a scheme and artifice to defraud and for obtaining money and property by means of false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises from HUD, and that federal grant funds were tranfered via electronic wire transfer.

Goodwin admitted in Count 2 that she provided two kickbacks to another co-conspirator. One was provided on August 11, 2003, when another co-conspirators issued check Number 5053 of $9,000 from Shiloh Account 1 to be paid her. From that $9,000, she paid a co-conspirator $5,000 cash as a kickback. The source of these funds was the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. Another kickback was on August 17, 2004, when co-conspirator issued check number 5616 in the amount of $10,000 from the Shiloh Account 1 to be paid to her. From that $10,000, Goodwin paid a co-conspirator $5,000 cash as kickback. Again, the source of these funds was the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Finally, Goodwin pleaded guilty to submitting a false document to HUD. In and around November 2005, she and other co-conspirators met and created false and fraudulent invoices and documents to include in a report which was submitted to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. In or around November 2005, the report was submitted to the Congressional Grants Division of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C. Specifically, Goodwin prepared a document created to give the false impression that a co-conspirator was entitled to compensation and to conceal the fact that she and a co-conspirator had been taking grant funds for personal use since 2001. Goodwin admitted the document was a fabrication.

At sentencing, Goodwin faces a maximum combined penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment, up to a $750,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Judd and Jim Lesousky, and it was investigated by United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

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