Georgia Housing Authority Executive Charged in $2.5M Fraud

Melanie S. Thompson, former executive director of Georgia's Hinesville Housing Authority, and her business partner Toriono L. Byrd were indicted on July 8 for an alleged $2.5 million fraud scheme. Prosecutors claim the scheme, which ran from September 2019 to October 2023, utilized false invoices, kickbacks, and fraudulent payments over a four-year period. The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, includes charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and making false claims.

Thompson is accused of leveraging her position to award contracts to Byrd's company, Southeastern Coastal Property Maintenance Services LLC, without adhering to standard bidding procedures. Evidence suggests Thompson created and authorized payments for invoices, some of which were for work never completed or services overvalued. Prosecutors allege Thompson deliberately authorized repeated payments of $5,000 or less to evade detection by other agency personnel. Concurrently, Byrd allegedly funneled kickbacks to Thompson from accounts he controlled.

Further allegations detail Thompson's involvement in establishing Strategic Logistics Transportation Services LLC in September 2019 and subsequently purchasing two semi-trucks for approximately $30,000. During this same timeframe, Thompson is accused of directing fraudulent "bonus" payments to her personal Navy Federal Credit Union account. The indictment also notes an undisclosed romantic relationship between Thompson and Byrd, which was not disclosed to the Hinesville Housing Authority. The Hinesville Housing Authority provides affordable housing and rental assistance programs to low-income individuals, families, seniors, and persons with disabilities in Liberty County, Georgia, managing 128 public housing units.