Former Dallas Housing Authority Employee to Serve Two Years in Prison for Stealing Government Funds

A former Dallas Housing Authority maintenance supervisor was sentenced to 2 years in federal prison for stealing government funds.

The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Texas announced the sentencing in a Wednesday press release.

Subscribe

According to the release, 50-year-old Joel Ipina pled guilty in November to theft concerning programs receiving government funds.

On May 21, he was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jane J. Boyle, who ordered him to pay nearly $475,000 in restitution. Documents showed that Ipina was employed by the Dallas Housing Authority from 1999-2024.

Dallas Housing Authority receives federal funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. As a maintenance supervisor, Ipina was responsible for approving maintenance work orders and selecting contractors to perform work on properties under his supervision.

Prosecutors alleged that Ipina carried out a multi-year scheme to enrich himself by steering maintenance contracts to a company he owned and controlled without the agency's knowledge.

As part of the scheme, he submitted fabricated competing bids to ensure his company won contracts. That led to the agency paying for work that was never performed.

"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," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron McCullough.