An SC housing authority CEO faces indictments for theft in Georgia, now on paid leave
The chief executive officer of the Greenville Housing Authority is on paid leave after she was indicted on a number of crimes alleged to have taken place while she worked in DeKalb County, Georgia.
Shawn Williams, 60, has held the Greenville position since 2020. Previously she was the executive director of the Housing Assistance Division of the Georgia Department of Community Affairs where she managed over $300 million in federal and state funds and a staff of 148 employees, the Greenville Housing Authority said when her hiring was announced.
This week, DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced that Williams and three others were indicted “in connection with an alleged scheme to steal money from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs through fraudulent contracts.”
The others charged were Corey Alston, 45, Toyao Andrews, 49, and Quinton Tate, 41.
The charges are violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, conspiracy to defraud the state, false statements/concealment, theft by deception, three counts of theft by taking, six counts of theft by receiving and six counts of bribery.
The charges allege that Williams and Andrews approved a contract for cleaning services with a company Andrews owned. From 2017 to 2019, the Georgia agency paid $64,000 to the cleaning company despite cleaning services being provided by the building’s landlord.
In addition, $120,000 was paid for development of an online tool in 2018 that was never implemented.
“The former state employees named in this indictment were supposed to help low-income Georgians find safe, affordable housing. Instead, they allegedly used their positions to enrich themselves,” Boston said. “Anyone who violates the public’s trust and takes taxpayer dollars as their own will be held accountable and brought to justice.”
Williams is from Pittsburgh and has worked in housing agencies there and in Woodbridge and Richmond in Virginia and Charlotte.
Board Chair Pete Byford could not be reached for comment.
He told WYFF that the Greenville Housing Authority was conducting an internal review and was cooperating with Georgia authorities.
The agency’s Director of Finance Beth Clark was named interim CEO.
“We want to assure our community that The Greenville Housing Authority remains committed to transparency and accountability,” Byford told the television station.
