A Lincoln woman has been sentenced to three years in prison and fined $2,500 for her part in a scheme involving false applications for rental assistance fraud.
Laura L. Graham, 34, pleaded no contest to attempted theft by deception.
Judge Darla Ideus sentenced her last week to the prison time, plus 18 months of post-release supervision.
In an affidavit for Graham's arrest, police said she was working as a case manager with Family Services processing applications for the U.S. Department of Treasury's Emergency Rental Assistance Program, for those who couldn't pay rent or utilities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In October 2021, an employee with Lincoln's Urban Development Department, which screened the applications, came forward about Graham after asking her to get a utility bill for proof of residency on an application and discovering the LES bill she provided had been altered.
It led to additional emergency rental assistance applications of concern that already had been processed. Investigators found instances where a tenant on an application never lived in Lincoln, and tenants' names had been fabricated. In another, Graham altered an application to say two additional people were renting from the applicant in an attempt to get more money.
Prosecutors said Graham received a cut of the money.
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