South Holland Woman, 32, Stole $18K In Rent, Gets 2 Years In Prison

CHICAGO — A South Holland woman was sentenced to two years in prison for pocketing more than $18,000 in rent payments while working for a property management company, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office said.

Delvya Harris, 32, also admitted to fraudulently obtaining more than $41,000 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans by falsely claiming that she owned a business. Harris was sentenced Monday by Cook County Circuit Court Judge Laura Ayala-Gonzalez after pleading guilty to a Class 3 felony theft charge, Raoul's office said in a release.

“I am pleased to see an individual held accountable for taking advantage of tenants and the public by stealing public funds for personal financial gain,” Raoul said. “I will continue to ensure taxpayers receive justice when individuals exploit programs that provide important government support.”

Harris was employed by management firm Habitat Company as an assistant community manager at the Chicago Housing Authority’s Trumbull Park Homes in Chicago’s South Deering neighborhood when she stole 50 money orders. Harris admitted to depositing money orders CHA tenants used to pay, worth $18,215, into her personal bank account between December 2022 and March 2023.

Harris also fraudulently applied for two PPP loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration by falsely claiming that she owned a retail business that did not exist. According to Raoul’s office, Harris received a total of just over $41,000 in February and May 2021 from two fraudulent applications. Harris also applied for and received an advance on a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for a business that did not exist.

The case was investigated by the CHA Inspector General’s office.