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Press Release

More Charges Brought Against Former Executive Director Of NEAD And Former Chairman Of The RHA

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Western District of New York

CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX #: (716) 551-3051

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that a federal grand jury has returned a 27-count third superseding indictment charging George H. Moses, 50, of Rochester, NY, with 25 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, federal program fraud, aggravated identity theft, and filing false tax returns. In addition, co-defendant Janis White, 58, also of Rochester, is charged in four counts with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and obstruction of justice. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. 

Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard A. Resnick, who is handling the case, stated that in November 2019, Moses and White were charged in a 55-count second superseding indictment. In that indictment, Moses was charged with various schemes to defraud the Rochester Housing Charities (RHC), a scheme to defraud Quad A for Kids, and tax violations. White was charged along with Moses in connection with one of the schemes to defraud the RHC.   

While all the conduct in the second superseding indictment is still included in the third superseding indictment, the new indictment includes additional allegations against Moses in connection with his role as the Executive Director of the North East Area Development Association (NEAD) and its subsidiary Freedom Community Enterprises, Inc., in Rochester. NEAD is a not-for-profit neighborhood organization governed by a volunteer board of directors, which worked with city officials and agencies to revitalize and stabilize the Sector 8 neighborhood in the northeast quadrant of Rochester.

The third superseding indictment alleges that Moses used funds belonging to NEAD and Freedom Community Enterprises to purchase personal items for himself and others.  For example, Moses improperly used NEAD or Freedom funds to purchase, among other things, a Carnival cruise vacation, spa services on a Royal Caribbean cruise, four firearms, a family YMCA membership, a NRA membership, essential oils and other health products, products for a multilevel marketing business, dental expenses, tickets to a New York Knicks basketball game at Madison Square Garden, repairs and items for his personal vehicle, amusement park accommodations, immigration services for a friend, travel related expenses, and a Netflix subscription.  

The third superseding indictment also charges Moses with using funds belonging to Freedom Community Enterprises to purchase a time share in Florida for approximately $20,000, and then using funds that Freedom Community Enterprises received from a grant from the City of Rochester to reimburse Freedom for Moses’ purchase of the time share.

The third superseding indictment is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Rochester Office, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Gary Loeffert; the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Brad Geary; and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, under the direction of Jonathan D. Larsen, Special Agent-in-Charge, New York Field Office.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. 

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Updated March 5, 2020

Topics
Financial Fraud
Public Corruption
Tax