There is something special about a mother and her daughter. It is a bond that is born out of unconditional love, mutual learning, and shared experiences. And for Takeeia Hakwns and her daughter Shansia Hawkins shared experiences include committing fraud. Takeeia and Shansia devised a scheme to defraud a North Carolina emergency rental assistance program of $870,000 meant to help residents facing eviction and homelessness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Who needs manicures and shopping to build memories, when there is fraud? And now they can talk about their scheme while in prison.
Through the NC HOPE Program, North Carolina residents could receive federal COVID-19 relief funds if their applications for rental assistance were approved. Which may not have been that stringent! Once approved, the program mailed rent payment checks to a tenant’s landlord. Landlords received checks for up to fifteen months of overdue or future rent payments. In their fraudulent applications submitted to the North Carolina Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions Program, Takeeia and Shansia lied about being the landlords of multiple homes in Eastern North Carolina. Posing as landlords, they claimed their supposed tenants couldn’t pay rent because of the financial burdens caused by COVID-19.
Takeeia and Shansia fraudulently received more than $150,000 with their scheme. Which they used for their next mother daughter activity. Gambling.
On June 7, 2024, Takeeia was sentenced to 36 months and Shanasia was sentenced to 15 months in prison, where they can maybe bond over new activities. Like making license plates.
Great job by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Prison time for New Bern mother and daughter in COVID fraud case” published by BusinessNC on June 7, 2024.
A mother and daughter from New Bern will go to prison for defrauding the government out of almost $150,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. The government says Takeeia Hawkins, 43, and her daughter, Shanasia Hawkins, 22, spent the money mostly on gifts and gambling.
Both women pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiracy to commit mail fraud. The elder Hawkins was sentenced Friday to 36 months in prison for her role in the scheme. Her daughter was sentenced to 15 months. Both women claimed to be landlords of properties in eastern North Carolina, with tenants who were unable to pay rent due to the pandemic.
