Former Housing Official Accused Of Stealing $400K
CHICAGO (STMW) - The former head of the Maywood Housing Authority has been indicted on theft charges for allegedly funneling rent money intended for poor people toward her own suburban mortgage.
Gwendolyn Robinson, 49, stole about $404,655 between July 2006 and November 2009 while serving as the agency's executive director, Attorney General's office spokeswoman Maura Possley said.
A Cook County grand jury returned an indictment against Robinson on Tuesday, Possley said. She's expected to appear in court Thursday morning in Chicago on charges of theft and official misconduct.
The money Robinson took would have paid rent for poor people, Possley said. But Robinson funneled people's housing vouchers into a separate hidden account she used to pay the mortgage on her own Elmhurst home.
Public records show she bought the 2,900-square-foot home for $655,000 in July 2006.
Robinson left the agency in December 2009 after working there for 10 years.
A call placed to its current director was not immediately returned, nor was one to the mayor's office.
© Sun-Times Media Wire Chicago Sun-Times 2011. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
