Former Amarillo Employee Jailed For Embezzling $121,000 From Homeless Program
Vanessa Robinson, 35, was a City of Amarillo grant manager with the Community Development Department, responsible for helping homeless people afford rent, according to a release from the Department of Justice. From 2013 to 2024, she coordinated funds to landlords from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
But from July 2019 to September 2024, Robinson embezzled from the program, totaling $121,325. She posed as a program recipient to live rent-free for more than two years. She also took money from an emergency grant and completed fraudulent forms to give housing assistance to family members.
'This breach of the public trust will not be tolerated, and we are proud of our law enforcement partners' work in seeing justice done in this case,' said Acting Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Nancy Larson in the release.
Robinson pled guilty to 'information charging her with conspiracy' to embezzle from a federally funded program in March. Then on July 22, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk sentenced her to 18 months in federal prison and ordered her to return the embezzled money to Amarillo.
The program was responsible for distributing HUD funds to help 'homeless or near-homeless' citizens in Amarillo with housing, paying 'market-rate' rents to willing landlords, according to the release. Robinson's job entailed communicating with landlords, completing leases and inspections, and arranging payment.
'Robinson embezzled from the program by various means,' the release reads.
Robinson posed as a program recipient and lived rent-free for more than two years, enlisting a 'co-conspirator – another former employee who participated in a similar scheme' to act as her supposed case worker and communicate with her landlord. She lived on the taxpayer's dime for 25 months, costing a total of $34,673.
She also admitted she created fraudulent lease agreements and a 'fictitious landlord' under her husband's identity to receive money from the HUD's Emergency Services Grant, according to the release. She even filled out fraudulent applications for family members so that they could receive housing assistance.
In a separate case, 44-year-old Amy Dixon – Amarillo's former Homeless Management Information Specialist – pled guilty in June 2024 to 'criminal information charging conspiracy' to embezzle from a federally-funded program.
Dixon embezzled more than $465,000 total from the same program, depositing supposed landlord 'payments' into her bank account, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk sentenced her in October 2024 to 24 months in federal prison and to repay the stolen money to Amarillo.
'These defendants abused trusted positions within the City of Amarillo to steal from federal funding intended for residents experiencing significant financial hardship and homelessness,' Larson said in the release.
FBI-Dallas' 'Amarillo Resident Agency' and HUD's Office of Inspector General investigated this case, while Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Frausto prosecuted.
'The defendants in this case embezzled funds from a program meant to help disadvantaged residents in their area,' said FBI-Dallas Special Agent In Charge Joseph Rothrock in the release. 'They abused their positions as city employees for personal gain at the expense of their community.'
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