By james art A former Amarillo city employee was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison for stealing more than $465,000 in federal money intended for the city’s homeless population.
Amy Dixon, 44, who worked as a city information specialist for homeless management, faced up to five years in prison after pleading guilty in June to conspiring to embezzle from a federally funded program.
She appeared Tuesday before U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kaczmarik for sentencing hearing.
Kacsmaryk also ordered Dixon to pay $465,511.65 in restitution.
Her charge stems from an investigation that began in 2023 when Amarillo city officials noticed inconsistencies in a grant program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Dixon, who worked for the city of Amarillo’s Community Development Department from 2012 to 2023, was responsible for using the grant money to pay landlords to house the city’s homeless residents, according to appeal documents , filed on Monday.
She was also responsible for coordinating property inspections to ensure they met HUD living standards.
Dixon admitted that from September 2020 to April 2023, she sent 223 fraudulent payment vouchers that resulted in 66 checks written to a bogus landlord, totaling approximately $465,511.65, which she transferred to her personal bank accounts.
The documents state she used a relative’s personal information to create a fake landlord to receive the grant money.
About seven months later, Dixon took advantage of a COVID policy change that opened up property inspections to other vendors, during which she processed payments for properties she falsely claimed were owned by the relative.
The scheme continued until April 2023, when Dixon was transferred to the city’s finance department.
Court documents say Dixon learned of the scheme from another former city employee with whom she conspired to embezzle the money. So far, however, she appears to be the only one charged in connection with the scheme.
As part of her sentence, she will be ordered to pay back the stolen money.