{"id":10685,"date":"2022-11-30T10:46:25","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T15:46:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/collierclerk.com\/?p=10685"},"modified":"2026-01-20T12:59:38","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T17:59:38","slug":"collier-clerks-office-of-inspector-general-confirms-over-1-3-million-in-fraudulent-grant-applications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/app.collierclerk.com\/collierclerkcom\/collier-clerks-office-of-inspector-general-confirms-over-1-3-million-in-fraudulent-grant-applications\/","title":{"rendered":"Office of Inspector General Worked with CHS to Save Taxpayers from $1.3 Million in Fraudulent Grant Applications"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Clerk\u2019s Office of Inspector General (OIG)<\/a><\/strong> recently conducted training for approximately 45 members<\/strong> of the Board of County Commissioner\u2019s Community and Human Services (CHS) staff and the Clerk\u2019s Finance staff, to review the results of the OIG investigations into grant applications<\/strong> referred to the OIG by departments. The grant applicants were requesting financial assistance under the federal Emergency Rental Assistance program<\/strong>, which makes funding available to assist households that are unable to pay rent or utilities as a result of COVID-19.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These grant requests were initially flagged by the CHS staff and referred to the OIG starting in April 2022. To date, 76 grant applications were referred, totaling $1,373,792.91<\/strong>.\u00a0 Only one application for $3,200 was subsequently cleared<\/strong> for payment by the OIG.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Of the applications submitted, the OIG discovered that the identities of three Collier County residents and one Miami-Dade County resident were stolen<\/strong> and utilized on two Collier ERAP applications. Two individuals were turned over to law enforcement and subsequently arrested on this case.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The remaining grant applications were not cleared for payment, due to apparently fraudulent information identified. Staff were alerted to several indicators of fraud in these grant requests including<\/strong>:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n