Thursday, October 8, 2026HUD Announces Arrests of Nearly 500 Fraudsters and Fugitives

WASHINGTON - Secretary Turner applauded the work of Operation Clean House, a multi-agency, multi-month law enforcement initiative targeting fugitives living in HUD-assisted housing, for arresting 491 criminal fugitives. HUD Office of Inspector General (OIG) Special Agents partnered with the U.S. Marshals Service and state and local law enforcement across 12 cities to carry out this mission.

"We will not allow criminal predators and fraudsters to use HUD housing as a haven or live freely on the taxpayer's dime," said Secretary Turner, a member of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud. "Operation Clean House removed dangerous drug traffickers, rapists, and sex offenders and delivered real accountability. President Trump promised to restore once-great American cities, and we are fulfilling that promise by making our communities safer."

"These arrests are only one part of our strategy. Our investigators, auditors, evaluators, and analysts are attacking threats to HUD programs from every direction. Whether it is violent criminals hiding in HUD-assisted housing, fraudsters stealing taxpayer dollars, or weaknesses that leave federal housing programs vulnerable to abuse, we will use every authority and every tool available to protect these programs and the people they serve," said Acting Inspector General Brian D. Harrison.

"Public housing is for the needy, not criminals. Thankfully, Secretary Turner will not sleep until all crooks and fraudsters are kicked out," said Scott Brady, Executive Director of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

Operation Clean House carried out arrests in Memphis, Tennessee; New York City, New York; Newark, New Jersey; Chicago, Illinois; Los Angeles, California; Kansas City, Missouri; Kansas City, Kansas; New Orleans, Louisiana; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Cleveland, Ohio; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Columbus, Ohio; and others.

Working with the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, HUD is rooting out waste and holding fraudsters accountable with real consequences.

• In June, HUD held Los Angeles' homeless industrial complex accountable and suspended the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) from receiving further taxpayer funds. LAHSA has received over $1 billion in tax dollars since 2013 despite its record of fraud.
• In September, Secretary Turner announced the arrests of LA fraudsters who stole $14 million, including taxpayer funds received through LAHSA, instead of serving the homeless.
• In July, HUD suspended funding to the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority, which received $1.9 billion, due to widespread financial mismanagement and improper payments.

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