Public Housing Contractor Took $116,000 In Bribery Scheme: AG

CHICAGO — A former employee of a Chicago Housing Administration contractor is accused of taking over $100,000 in bribes from people seeking public housing, the Illinois attorney general's office announced Friday.

Brian Rice, 42, of Chicago, has been indicted on 34 felony counts including bribery, wire fraud, theft and forgery stemming from an investigation by the CHA inspector general into the administration's housing choice voucher program, according to the attorney general's office.

Rice worked for Nan McKay and Associates, which has a contract to administer the CHA voucher program for about four months ending in January 2019. Using his official credentials, he solicited bribes from applicants to the program and those already on the waiting list, according to Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

"[Rice] used his position and access to abuse a lengthy application process and steal from individuals in need of affordable housing," Raoul said, announcing the charges. "My office is committed to holding accountable those who use their positions to line their pockets at taxpayers' expense."

From November 2018 to June 2019 — even after his employment with the contractor had been terminated — Rice allegedly took payments of between $1,800 and $2,500 from applicants and used his CHA identification card and email account to help them bypass the waiting list, according to the attorney general.

Rice would provide fraudulent information to give to landlords, who would find out the voucher and tenant numbers were invalid when they submitted information to CHA, according to the attorney general's office. Rice paid back some of the bribes, but other times he changed he phone number so the people who paid him could not track him down.

The inspector general's office began investigating after the CHA got over 50 applications submitted under identical circumstances, according to Raoul, whose public integrity bureau is prosecuting the criminal case in Cook County court.

CHA Inspector General Elissa Rhee-Lee said in a statement her office applauded the many people who Rice defrauded who cooperated with the investigation.

"Rice perpetrated despicable crimes against the most vulnerable citizens desperate for subsidized affordable housing motivated by his unadulterated greed," Rhee Lee said.

No attorney information was immediately available for Rice following his arrest Friday. He is due to appear in court at a bond hearing Saturday in Chicago.