Maine Woman Used Cape Cod Home To Steal Over $100K In Housing Assistance Benefits: DOJ

WELLFLEET, MA — A Maine woman pleaded guilty to stealing federal housing benefits for nearly two decades by claiming to be a tenant at a Cape Cod vacation home, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts said.

Rebecca Amelia Cranford, 63, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government funds. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Aug. 17, 2023. Cranford was arrested and charged in September 2021.

Cranford admitted that, from 2004 to 2020, she agreed to look after a Wellfleet property while the owners were gone.

However, Cranford did more than that by applying for federal housing subsidies and pretending to be a tenant living at the property. She then directed the housing subsidies to a business entity incorporated in her own name and listed as the landlord for the property on the housing application, officials said.

In total, Cranford stole approximately $113,067 in housing assistance benefits.

The charge of theft of government funds comes with a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.