A Cincinnati woman has pleaded guilty in federal court to falsely accusing her landlord of not wanting a black tenant and making a false statement to federal officials about the case. The US Department of Justice stated: last week.
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Citing court documents, officials said they forwarded multiple text messages to the U.S. attorney’s office that were allegedly sent by a Cincinnati-area landlord in February 2023 as part of a civil rights report.
The landlord owns more than 100 properties, including 56 properties rented through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Housing Choice Voucher Program, and many of his tenants appear to be Black, officials said.
In March 2023, Damisha Pickett met with HUD officials and told them numerous discriminatory messages purporting to be from Pickett’s landlord, officials said, and that Pickett arrived at a gathering. She added that the landlord called her at the time and claimed to have placed the call on speakerphone.
Officials said Pickett told the agency he tried to pay some of the rent, but the landlord gave it back to him, saying he didn’t want to rent to black people.
Pickett’s attorney at the time, Fannon Rucker, shared multiple photos purported to be screenshots of messages from the landlord saying, “We want a white family in this room,” and “We won’t rent.” [to] He’s also African American.” WCPO-TV reported.
“If everyone who hears this doesn’t get mad, you need to check their pulse,” Rucker said about a year ago, according to a video released by the station.
But in a subsequent meeting with the agent, the landlord said he did not want Pickett to continue renting because he was causing significant damage to the property, officials said, based on phone records and forensic analysis. It added that indications showed no text messages were exchanged during the picket. Pickett allegedly used a mobile application to fabricate the text messages and the time period he claimed.
WCPO announced that the purported voicemail from the landlord was found to be linked to a phone number associated with Pickett.
So?
“Making false reports of racial discrimination is unacceptable and can have a demonstrable impact on other residents who rely on HUD assisted housing,” said Special Agent in Charge Sean Rice of the HUD Office of Inspector General. said. “In this case, if the landlord had violated the Fair Housing Act, it could have resulted in the revocation of HUD’s participation in the Housing Choice Voucher Program and the displacement of approximately 50 households that relied on the Housing Choice Voucher Program. These families would have been forced to uproot their families and incur irrecoverable costs in order to find new homes. ”
Pickett, 33, will be indicted in August 2023, officials said, adding that he faces up to five years in prison for making false statements to federal officials.
This is a video report that aired about six months ago when the tide started to turn in Pickett’s favor.
Cincinnati woman allegedly fabricated discriminatory message from landlordyoutube.be
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