Acton Woman Guilty Of Falsifying Documents To Get Subsidized Housing

An Action woman has been found guilty in connection to illegally obtaining low-income housing by falsifying information pertaining to her personal finances, Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone informed the public today.

Ruth Herman, 57, of Acton, was found guilty on charges of perjury (2 counts), larceny over $250, falsifying a financial statement, and government purchasing violation. Middlesex Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Fahy sentenced the defendant to four years probation and ordered her to pay restitution in the amount of $73,947 within ten days.

According to authorities, in 1999, the Concord Housing Authority determined that the defendant qualified for housing and she moved into a unit. The Concord Housing Authority is a political subdivision agency of both the town of Concord and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The properties are rented to certain qualifying individuals with low to moderate incomes. The authority is responsible for screening applicants and periodically reviewing a renter's eligibility.

In 2001, the defendant moved into another property owned by the Concord Housing Authority and stated in the apartment lease that she was living with her husband and her two minor children. In 2002, the defendant removed her husband from the lease and listed her two minor children as the only other occupants, until January 2007.

In addition to signing a lease and disclosing the number of occupants, the defendant was required to submit financial forms detailing her income. The authority reviews the number of occupants in each unit and their income in order to determine a monthly rental fee.

In 2007, the Concord Police Department began an investigation of the defendant which revealed that since 2001, the defendant concealed the fact that her husband had been living with her and that she had falsified her financial records for the purpose of obtaining a lower rental rate than she was actually entitled to.

Throughout the investigation, the defendant repeatedly made statements to the police that were contradicted by documenting evidence. The investigation concluded that the defendant had assets and sources of income that she was required to report to the housing authority, but neglected to do so. Based on the undisclosed information about the defendant, the Concord Housing Authority would have calculated her rent to be approximately $1,000 higher a month had it know the defendant's true household composition or financial situation.  

After the defendant left her apartment with the Concord Housing Authority, she and her husband purchased a home with a $400,000 mortgage. The Commonwealth contends that the defendant and her husband were able to afford such a mortgage because of the money they had saved while paying rent to the Concord Housing Authority. In the mortgage application, the defendant disclosed financial statements that differed significantly from the ones she had submitted to the Concord Housing Authority.

The defendant was indicted by a Middlesex Superior Court Grand Jury on August 6, 2009. She was arraigned in Middlesex Superior Court on August 26, 2009 where she was released on personal recognizance.

The prosecutor assigned to this case is Assistant District Attorney Doug Nagengast.