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A Lowell nonprofit leader has been charged with funneling over $280,000 in state rental aid to himself, his wife, family and friends.

Pipheak “Tom” Sun pled guilty to five counts of identity fraud, seven larceny charges and one attempted larceny charge, court filings show.

Sun formerly oversaw housing and consumer education work at Lowell-based nonprofit Community Teamwork Inc., a position that included overseeing its administration of state rental assistance programs. These programs work by making payments directly to landlords of participating tenants who need help paying their full rent, but parts of the program are administered on contract by private nonprofits instead of state employees.

Prosecutors claim he used that post to funnel $23,000 to his and his wife’s bank accounts, and create false rental assistance applications that let him send $259,000 in state aid to friends and family who owned rental properties, court documents say. Sun allegedly also received cash kickbacks from these transfers.

“As the cost of living continues to rise and Massachusetts residents grapple with our housing crisis, it is critical that resources designated to help families pay their rent end up in the right hands,” Attorney General Andrea Campbell said in a statement.

Campbell’s office brought the charges after a joint investigation with the state inspector general’s office.

“The indictments allege a deliberate scheme to defraud a program designed to help people keep a roof over their heads,” Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro said in a statement. “The [Office of the Inspector General] will continue to work with the Attorney General’s Office to safeguard public resources and hold those who enrich themselves at the expense of these resources to account.”

Lowell Nonprofit Exec Arraigned on Rental Assistance Fraud Charges

by James Sanna time to read: 1 min
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