Valley Focus : Arleta : Woman Faces Charges of Housing Fraud

An Arleta woman has been charged with grand theft in connection with an alleged scam in which she posed as a landlord to bilk a federal disaster relief program out of $11,309, authorities said.

Patricia Kahn, 37, conducted the scam for more than a year, while the real owner of the Van Nuys dwelling was away attending to personal business, said Los Angeles City Atty. Jim Hahn.

The money came from a U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development disaster relief program for Northridge earthquake victims, Hahn said. It was administered locally by the Los Angeles City Housing Authority.

Kahn, according to the city attorney, pocketed rent funds awarded to an unsuspecting couple, who believed her to be the real landlord.

Kahn, who also was charged with theft by false pretenses, is scheduled to be arraigned July 14 in Los Angeles Municipal Court.

The charges stem from an investigation by the Housing Authority, which investigated two other unrelated cases, Hahn said. Arrest warrants have been issued for Deedra Lashon Minnix, 24, of Los Angeles, and Sarah Dulaney, 32, whose address was not given.

Hahn said Minnix collected $7,615 by claiming to have lived in a Reseda dwelling that was red-tagged after the quake, when she actually lived elsewhere.

Dulaney, Hahn said, collected $5,566 by falsely claiming to have lived in a quake-damaged building in Los Angeles.

Each of the three faces up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted, Hahn said.