Former Milledgeville Housing Authority clerk admits to $575,000 theft, faces up to 10 years in prison

An Eatonton woman pleaded guilty Monday to stealing $575,000 from the Milledgeville Housing Authority by overpaying herself since January 2021.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – An Eatonton woman pleaded guilty Monday to stealing $575,000 from the Milledgeville Housing Authority by overpaying herself since January 2021.

49-year-old Jennifer Kay Smith will be sentenced at a later date after pleading guilty to federal program theft, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Georgia stated in a news release.

Smith was employed as the MHA payroll clerk when the theft occurred, according to the release, and MHA is a public housing authority mostly funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

She faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. She is not eligible for parole.

“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.”

A coworker discovered the fraud, according to the attorney’s office, revealing Smith had paid herself more than $40,000 above her regular salary in 2021 and more than $500,000 above her regular salary between January 1 and August 11, 2022.

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.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Deitrick is prosecuting the case.