Houston Man Gets 10 Years for Stealing $314K Hurricane Home Aid
A 45-year-old Houston resident has been caught with his hands dirty, pleading guilty to fraudulently applying for and receiving a newly rebuilt house worth $314,000 meant for Hurricane Harvey victims.
Christopher Montealegre, a 45-year-old Houston area resident, admitted to one count of theft of government funds after he knowingly applied for relief intended for victims of the hurricane through a program the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administered. Montealegre received assistance in the form of a newly rebuilt house, built using federal funds intended for victims of Hurricane Harvey.
Congress allocated funds to Texas as a special appropriation associated with a Presidentially Declared Disaster in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The funds help to support communities working to build stronger and more resilient neighborhoods.
“Christopher Montealegre exploited a program intended to assist vulnerable victims of Hurricane Harvey and used those funds for his own personal enrichment,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. \“Public resources for disaster relief should go to the victims that actually need them, not to enrich private actors like Montealegre.\”
“Montealegre\'s alleged conduct is disturbing, especially during this time when the public is reminded of the devastation that historic storms leave with thousands of victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Bertrand Nelson for HUD\'s Office of Inspector General (OIG), Southcentral Region. \“The taxpayer has no tolerance for those who steal from Federal public aid – the sole goal of which is to help victims rebuild and move forward with their lives. We will continue to work with our partners at the U.S. Attorney\'s Office to aggressively pursue fraudsters who steal disaster grant funds to enrich themselves.\”
U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison accepted the plea and has set sentencing for August 8. At that time, Montealegre faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Montealegre was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
HUD-OIG conducted the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Lansden and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shalimar Addy prosecuted the case.
Christopher Montealegre may think he’s got a free ride, but he’s wrong. His crimes will catch up with him, and when they do, he’ll be facing some serious time. As the U.S. Attorney said, \“public resources for disaster relief should go to the victims that actually need them, not to enrich private actors like Montealegre.\”
No one likes a thief, and Montealegre is no exception. He got caught with his hands dirty, and now he’s got to face the music.
Related Federal Cases
- Houston Robber Gets 37-Month Sentence for Wells Fargo Heist · Texas
- Free Money Gang’s Houston Terror Ends as 20 Members Face Justice · Texas
- Kelley Gets 18 Months for Night Vision Export Scheme · Maryland
- Fake Citizen Gets Seven Months, Deportation · Texas
- Barfield Gets 87 Months for Dewhurst Campaign Embezzlement · Texas
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
🔒 Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
Browse More
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News