Little Rock couple gets prison for stealing money from housing authority

A Little Rock couple will serve prison time after using their positions at the Cotton Plant Housing Authority to intercept funds, solicit bribes, misuse company credit cards and do construction on their home, U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Harris said in a statement Friday.

Rhonda Williams, 50, was given a sentence of three years and one month. Gary Williams, her 59-year-old husband, was sentenced to two years. Both sentences will be followed by three years of supervised release.

The ruling comes after the couple pled guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and money laundering in September.

At the time of their crimes, Rhonda Williams was the housing authority’s executive director. Her husband was its maintenance supervisor.

The court ordered the pair to jointly pay $732,177.80 in restitution and hand over the money in four bank accounts, an SUV, a boat and $145,000 cash seized from their home.

“These defendants took public money that was meant to provide affordable housing to a low income population, and instead used it for their own personal gain,” Harris said.

Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.

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