住房管理公司付250万美元和解联邦索赔：审计前篡改两处第8节住房租户档案
美国司法部纽约北区联邦检察官办公室宣布，经济适用房物业管理公司 Housing Management Resources, Inc.（HMR）已向联邦政府支付250万美元，就一起涉及第8节住房援助付款的《虚假申报法》民事案件达成和解。该办公室代理联邦检察官 John A. Sarcone III 公布了这一结果。
和解涉及 HMR 管理的两处物业：一处是位于纽约州 Rouses Point 的 Albert Carriere Apartments（又名 Champlain Family Housing），56户全部现属或曾属与住房和城市发展部（HUD）签订的第8节合同；另一处是位于马萨诸塞州 Lynn 市的 Leisure Tower，181户中有180户现属或曾属第8节合同。第8节计划依据1937年《美国住房法》，由 HUD 代表低收入租户向符合条件的房东支付住房援助，参与项目的业主与管理方须保存能证明租户资格与援助金额的文件，并遵守 HUD 的相关规定。
作为和解协议的一部分，HMR 承认并接受以下事实责任：2015年为迎接政府审计，公司人员复查上述两处物业的租户档案时发现，涉及租户享受第8节援助资格与计划合规的文件存在缺漏；其后，HMR 人员在未经受影响租户审核或同意的情况下，改动、补充、替换、移除或新建租户档案文件，以补上缺漏、使档案在政府审查时看似完整合规，导致档案不再真实反映改动前的文件状况。部分 HMR 经理与合规人员知情、指示或参与了这一行为；由此形成的关于租户资格与第8节合规的不实或误导性陈述与记录，被提交给 HUD 或由 HMR 保存以备提交，而这些内容对 HUD 是否支付住房援助款具有实质影响。
Sarcone 表示，HMR 人员篡改、新建租户档案记录，使住房援助申报含有重大不实或误导性陈述；第8节住房援助是一项重要的联邦计划，依赖租户资格与合规信息的准确性；他同时指出，HMR 已为此接受责任、配合政府调查并采取措施整改防止再犯。HUD 监察长办公室特别探员负责人 Shawn A. Rice 表示，HMR 操纵租户档案文件，破坏了这类计划服务困难家庭所依赖的问责机制，HUD 监察长办公室将继续与执法伙伴合作查处不当行为、保护联邦资金。
此案源于一名举报人依据《虚假申报法》的举报人诉讼条款在纽约北区联邦地区法院提起的诉讼，举报人将从和解款中获得437,500美元，案件编号为1:23-cv-1179。调查与和解由纽约北区联邦检察官办公室、HUD 监察长办公室、HUD 计划执法办公室与国税局刑事调查局（IRS-CI）协同完成。（来源：美国司法部纽约北区联邦检察官办公室）
Housing Management Resources Pays $2.5 Million to Settle False Claims Act Matter Over Altered Section 8 Tenant Files
Housing Management Resources, Inc. (HMR), a full-service affordable-housing property management company, has paid the United States $2.5 million to resolve a civil False Claims Act matter involving Section 8 housing assistance payments at two properties managed by HMR, announced First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III of the Northern District of New York.
The settlement resolves claims concerning HMR's management of the Albert Carriere Apartments, also known as Champlain Family Housing, in Rouses Point, New York, and Leisure Tower, in Lynn, Massachusetts. All 56 units at the Albert Carriere Apartments currently or previously were subject to a Section 8 contract with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and 180 of the 181 units at Leisure Tower currently or previously were subject to a Section 8 contract with HUD. Section 8 of the United States Housing Act of 1937 authorizes HUD to provide housing assistance payments to owners of eligible housing on behalf of low-income tenants; owners and management agents in the program are required to maintain documentation supporting tenant eligibility and the amount of assistance claimed and to comply with applicable HUD requirements.
As part of the settlement agreement, HMR admits, acknowledges, and accepts responsibility for the following: in preparation for government audits at the two properties in 2015, HMR personnel reviewed tenant files and identified deficiencies in documentation relevant to tenant eligibility for Section 8 assistance and compliance with program requirements. HMR personnel thereafter altered, supplemented, replaced, removed, or created tenant-file documentation without obtaining the affected tenants' review or approval, for the purpose of addressing deficiencies in the files and causing the files to appear complete and compliant for government review. As a result, the tenant files inaccurately reflected the documentation that had existed before the alterations. Certain HMR managers and compliance personnel were aware of, directed, or participated in this conduct. The conduct resulted in false or materially misleading statements and records concerning tenant eligibility and Section 8 compliance that were submitted to, or maintained by HMR for submission to, HUD, and those statements and records were material to HUD's determination of whether housing assistance payments were payable.
Sarcone said HMR's personnel altered and created tenant-file records that caused claims for housing assistance to contain materially false or misleading representations, and that the Section 8 program depends on accurate information about tenant eligibility and compliance; he commended HMR for accepting responsibility, cooperating with the government's investigation, and taking steps to address the conduct and prevent its recurrence. Shawn A. Rice, Special Agent in Charge of the HUD Office of Inspector General, said HMR's manipulation of tenant-file documentation undermined the accountability the programs rely on to serve families in need, and that HUD OIG will continue to work with law enforcement partners to uncover misconduct and protect federal funds.
This matter arose from a qui tam complaint filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. Under the settlement agreement, the relator will receive $437,500 of the settlement proceeds. The case is docketed under case number 1:23-cv-1179. The investigation and resolution were a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York, the HUD Office of Inspector General, the HUD Office of Program Enforcement and IRS Criminal Investigation. (Source: U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York)
来源：美国司法部纽约北区联邦检察官办公室
发布：GSM·美国（发布链接）
图片来源：图：美国住房和城市发展部（HUD）总部大楼。HUD 官方照片（公共领域）。 / Photo: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development headquarters. HUD photo (public domain).
GSM Global · 本篇英文版 English edition of this story
