They were supposed to be working together to find homes for veterans. But instead, the two women worked together to steal approximately $124,000 in federal funds intended for those veterans, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in North Georgia said Thursday.
“The defendants betrayed the trust of veterans who came to them for help,” Acting U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine said. “The victims are men and women who sacrificed for their country and deserve more than being taken advantage of for personal greed.”
Camelia Revels, a former case manager at HOPE Atlanta, and Katrise Jones, a property agent, have both pleaded guilty to the thefts, Christine’s office said. Sentencing for Revels, 50, of Hiram, is scheduled for April 6, and Jones, 47, of Lexington, South Carolina, will be sentenced April 15.
Between October 2013 and November 2015, Revels was employed as a case manager at HOPE Atlanta, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting homelessness. As part of her duties, Revels was responsible for confirming a veteran’s eligibility to participate in a federal funding program, assisting veterans in finding suitable housing and preparing vouchers to secure issuance of funds, according to prosecutors.
Revels did not have final approval over the federal vouchers, but she provided all the relevant information to her supervisor, including the name of the vendor to whom the check would be issued on behalf of a veteran, Christine’s office said. Among those vendors were companies owned by Jones, who was supposed to help veterans find housing.
In December 2014, HOPE Atlanta learned that Jones was not making rental payments on behalf of veterans and the nonprofit directed Revels to no longer work with her. Revels ignored this directive and continued the scheme with Jones, according to investigators.
Jones is also accused of stealing money from the Marietta Housing Authority. According to investigators, she stole approximately $3,000 by accepting money for rental payments she never made.
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