San Francisco Grifter Pleads Guilty to Stealing $340k in Housing Benefits

San Francisco Grifter Pleads Guilty to Stealing $340k in Housing Benefits

Gregory Finkelson, a 64-year-old San Francisco resident, has pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property in connection with his fraudulent receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars in low-income housing benefits, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Special Agent in Charge Mark Kaminsky; and IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley of the Oakland Field Office.

The Section 8 Certificate Program is a rent subsidy program funded by HUD and administered jointly in San Francisco by HUD and the San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA). The program is intended to help low- and moderate-income families afford housing, and it has income limits and other eligibility requirements that applicants must meet to qualify for assistance.

In his plea agreement, Finkelson admitted that, between approximately August 2006 and February 2020, he wrongfully claimed $341,455 in Section 8 Program subsidies by lying about his income and his ownership of (i) a San Francisco residence he purchased in 2005 that is now valued at approximately $2.4 million; and (ii) a business he ran out of his residence. He then used the funds he fraudulently obtained to benefit himself, including by funding his business, paying his credit card bills, and making payments on a timeshare in Hawaii.

Finkelson was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 25, 2023, and pleaded guilty this week to one count of theft of government property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 641 & 2, for which he faces a statutory maximum prison term of 10 years. In addition, as part of any sentence, the court may order the defendant to pay a fine of up to $250,000 and to serve a term of supervised release of up to three years.

“This defendant fraudulently obtained housing benefits designated for some of the neediest individuals in our society and used them to enrich himself,” said United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey. “I am proud of the work this Office does to prosecute those who defraud the government, particularly where, as here, it is low-income families who suffer the most as a result of the defendant’s selfish conduct.”

Finkelson agreed to pay at least $341,455 in restitution, which represents the total amount he admitted he stole from the government. His guilty plea was accepted by the Hon. James Donato, United States District Judge, on May 6, 2024.