NWGHA reimbursed after $46K theft
♦ The Housing Authority’s finance director says a fake check was cashed by a bank in California.
The Northwest Georgia Housing Authority has been fully reimbursed by United Community Bank for a $46,300.44 fraud incident that occurred back in February.
Finance Director Felicia Redden told the authority board Wednesday that someone had created a check that looked just like one the authority would have issued and was able to cash it through a bank in California.
“It was very scary how real it looked,” Redden said. “But we’ve been completely reimbursed by the bank.”
The theft was caught when Redden went over the monthly bank statement and noticed the operating account was negative on one particular day. Board Chairwoman Lee Hight asked if city police investigators or bank officials had offered any thoughts as to how the fraud occurred.
“They used a check number that cleared our bank last
July,” Redden said.
Barry Mcelroy — a retired
Rome police officer who now serves as director of security and investigations for the housing authority — said this type of online fraud is extremely difficult for police to trace.
“The name of the person that the check was made out to was very common out in the California and Texas area,” Mcelroy said. “I kind of doubt they’ll ever really know for sure where it originated.”
In other business, the authority approved a public participation policy for board meetings that will require anyone who wants to get on the agenda to submit their request in writing at least three days in advance.
Attorney Stewart Duggan said the measure is not meant to be an impediment to participation, but serve as a gatekeeper function.
“The board doesn’t want people coming in to voice grievances about a minor dispute that is very personal to them ... Principally, the board wants to hear matters that affect people systemwide or a matter of public importance,” Duggan said.
Hight said the new policy doesn’t prevent anyone from attending a board meeting, which are open to the public.
The housing authority is in the midst of numerous construction projects — including a major renovation of one of the highrise units on North Fifth Avenue and replacement housing at scattered sites along the Maple Avenue/east Twelfth Street corridor.
Director of Modernization Howard Gibson told the board that the highrise renovations should be complete before the end of the year. A portion of that building will be converted into a personal care home for public housing residents.
Construction of a new townhouse complex is going slower. “We’ve had more rain days than work days at Summerville Park,” Gibson said.
The units at the corner of Martha Berry Boulevard and Charlton Street will serve elderly residents. Site work is almost finished and the pouring of concrete foundations should start next week. The authority is continuing to work toward the closing of financial deals for a takeover of the Ashland Park Apartments and a new 60plus unit complex at Altoview Terrace in East Rome.