Two sisters are accused of paying fake vendors with money from a federally funded housing entity serving Santa Ana Pueblo in order to collect most of that money back in cash.
According to the indictment and statements made in court, Tamaya Housing Incorporated is the tribally designated housing entity for Santa Ana Pueblo and receives federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Indian Housing Block Grant Program to provide affordable housing to Pueblo members.
At the time of the alleged offenses, Sharilene Jeff, 51, served as Interim Executive Director of Tamaya Housing Inc. and had access to the organization’s financial accounts as well as federal grant funds. At the time, Sandra Jeff, 58, served as the office manager. Sandra and Sharilene Jeff are sisters. According to public records, Sandra Jeff previously served as a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives.
From November 2021 through May 2022, Sharilene Jeff and Sandra Jeff allegedly conspired to cause Tamaya Housing Inc. to pay individuals for work they had not performed in exchange for those individuals returning most of the money to them in cash.
In April 2022, Sharilene Jeff allegedly caused approximately $50,000 to be transferred from Tamaya Housing Inc.’s bank account to an individual who had performed no work for Tamaya Housing Inc. Later that month, Sandra Jeff traveled to Las Vegas, Nevada, where she allegedly collected approximately $40,000 in cash from that individual.
The following month, Sharilene Jeff allegedly caused approximately $63,500 to be transferred from Tamaya Housing Inc.’s bank account to another individual and instructed the recipient to withdraw $40,500 in cash while keeping $23,000. According to the indictment, Sharilene Jeff later collected cash from that individual while attending a work conference in Seattle, Washington, and Sandra Jeff subsequently collected additional cash from that individual in Arizona.
“Every dollar stolen from a federally funded housing program is a dollar that cannot be used to serve the families who depend on it,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “These programs depend on the integrity of the people responsible for administering them, and allegations of theft undermine the trust that makes them work. We will work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who divert federal resources for personal gain, regardless of the positions they hold.”
The indictment further alleges that, as part of the conspiracy, the Defendants instructed recipients to withdraw cash in small amounts to avoid detection and to falsely claim that contracts existed with Tamaya Housing Inc. if questioned about the payments.
“Sharilene Jeff and Sandra Jeff’s alleged abuse of their positions by orchestrating a scheme to divert funds intended to provide affordable housing to Santa Ana Pueblo members in order to line their own pockets is intolerable,” said Special Agent in Charge Grant Permenter of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. “The funds entrusted to them were meant to provide a service for the vulnerable community members—not for personal gain. HUD OIG remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to follow the money, expose fraud schemes, and hold accountable those who misuse federal funds and betray the trust placed in them.”
In addition to the conspiracy charge, Sharilene Jeff is charged with five other counts of theft from Tamaya Housing Inc., and Sandra Jeff is charged with two additional counts of theft from Tamaya Housing Inc. Each alleged theft is for property valued at $5,000 or more.
Sharilene Jeff is currently detained pending trial. Sandra Jeff is on release but under federal supervision pending trial.
Trial has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, they both face up to 10 years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Grant Permenter of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement today.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General and the Santa Ana Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jena Ritchey and Sean Sullivan are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.