A judge sentenced a former Dallas Housing Authority employee to two years in prison for stealing nearly $500,000 in federal funds from the agency, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas announced Wednesday.
Joel Ipina, 50, pleaded guilty in November to stealing from programs receiving government funds. U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle also ordered Ipina to pay $473,641 in restitution.
“This defendant abused a position of trust to steal public funds intended to serve the Dallas community,” U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould said in a news release. “This sentence reflects our commitment to protecting taxpayer-funded programs and holding accountable those who exploit them.”
Ipina worked for the Dallas Housing Authority (DHA), a low-income housing assistance agency, from 1995 to 2024, according to the release. DHA receives federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Ipina was a maintenance supervisor responsible for approving maintenance work orders and picking contractors to work on properties under his supervision.
From about August 2019 to February 2024, Ipina submitted fabricated bids for maintenance contracts to ensure the contracts were awarded to a company he owned and controlled — leading DHA to pay for work that was never completed, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. That included apartments in Northeast Dallas and homes in East and Southeast Dallas, according to court records.
“Joel Ipina’s selfish actions diverted almost $500,000 in federal funds intended to provide housing services to vulnerable community members, and also took away the opportunity for other actual hard-working companies to compete for contracts and provide services to the Housing Authority of the City of Dallas," Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron McCullough with the HUD, Office of Inspector General, said in a statement.
KERA News has reached out to DHA for comment and will update this story with any response.
Toluwani Osibamowo is KERA’s law and justice reporter. Got a tip? Email Toluwani at tosibamowo@kera.org.
KERA News is made possible through the generosity of our members. If you find this reporting valuable, consider making a tax-deductible gift today. Thank you.
