MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — A Milledgeville Housing Authority payroll clerk pleaded guilty to stealing $575,000 from the agency on Monday, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Georgia announced in a press release.
They say that Jennifer Kay Smith, 49, admitted to overpaying herself while working for the agency.
Smith, who is from Eatonton, pleaded guilty to one count of federal program theft, and the U.S. Attorney's Office says that she could face up to 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
The Milledgeville Housing Authority is primarily funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
After getting out of prison, Smith will face three years of supervised release, according to the press release.
“Stealing taxpayer dollars is a crime that both erodes public trust and harms the affected federal program,” U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary said. “Our office will hold accountable government employees who take advantage of their positions to commit theft or other crimes.”
Court documents show that Smith had been stealing money from the MHA since January 2021. In 2021, they say Smith paid herself $40,000 above her normal salary.
They say she did this by recording her normal time and then adding vacation and sick leave on top of those hours so she was being paid more than 40 hours a week.
Between Jan. 1, 2022 and Aug. 11, 2022, Smith paid herself more than $500,000 above her regular salary, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in the press release. In total, they say Smith stole $575,014.50 from the agency.
They said that no one at the housing authority checked her work, but eventually, a coworker would discover Smith's actions.
In an interview with investigators, the U.S. Attorney's Office said that Smith told them: "I messed up. I know I messed up."
According to the press release, Smith is not eligible for parole.
The case was investigated by the Milledgeville Police Department, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General and the U.S. Secret Service.