PALATKA, Fla. – An employee with the Palatka Housing Authority is being accused of funneling over $150,000 intended for the organization into a separate company that he controlled, according to a federal indictment filed on Wednesday.
Thomas Hoffman, who worked at the PHA as a network administrator, according to a LinkedIn profile, is accused of committing the fraud beginning at least in July 2023 and continuing through February 2025.
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He faces one count of theft from a federal program and, if convicted, will be asked to forfeit at least $155,706, which represents the total proceeds of the alleged offense, according to the indictment.
Read the full indictment below
The Palatka Housing Authority describes itself as an organization committed to building “better families and communities” and providing housing through the Public Housing Program and the Housing Choice Vouchers program.
PHA’s full mission statement can be found below.
The Palatka Housing Authority, in partnership with the community, is committed to providing affordable and quality housing options to eligible clients. We seek to create equal opportunities through education and training for residents to reach self-sufficiency and economic independence. In order to achieve our mission, we will strive to:
Palatka Housing Authority Mission Statement
The agency adds that it has been ranked as a “high performer” by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for public housing and management of the entity’s Section 8 program since 2018.
In the indictment, it is mentioned that the PHA receives over $10,000 in federal benefits each year from HUD, and that Hoffman “embezzled, stole, obtained, by fraud” funds that were to be under the care of the PHA.
