Tracy Denise Jones, a Senior Vice President at the Atlanta Housing Authority, plead guilty on Feb. 2 to federal charges of housing assistance fraud, pandemic relief fraud, and mortgage fraud. She will be sentenced on May 5.
What’s Happening: Jones, 61, of Atlanta, was charged with using fake forms to get family members into the Section 8 program. She then received Section 8 payments for them to live in her rental house. She was also charged with collecting more than $27,000 from Small Business Administration COVID-19 relief programs. She allegedly claimed her shell businesses were operating with multiple employees and had made over $56,000 in 2019. She was also charged with mortgage fraud. When refinancing her Section 8 rental property, she allegedly claimed the property was her primary residence on a loan application for $219,780.
What’s Important: Jones has overseen the Housing Choice Voucher Program at the Atlanta Housing Authority since April 2017. She runs one of the largest Section 8 programs in the country. Section 8 is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. It provides rental assistance payments to landlords for low-income families. Housing authority staff are generally not allowed to receive Section 8 payments for their own properties. Section 8 landlords are typically not allowed to lease to their own family members.
What We Know: Jones allegedly used a fake name and shell business on housing authority documents. She collected more than $36,000 of Section 8 funds. She was charged with submitting a false affidavit during investigations. She was also charged with convincing friends to lie and present false documents. On her mortgage refinancing application, she allegedly claimed the property was her primary residence, was not a rental property, and that she did not own any other property.
What Happens Next: Jones will be sentenced on May 5. The Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Garrett L. Bradford is prosecuting.
The Law: Jones was arraigned on Dec. 19, 2025. She was charged with conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, wire fraud, and credit application fraud.
