Former West Carthage Housing Authority leader sentenced in embezzlement scheme

More than $48,000 in restitution recovered  

WEST CARTHAGE — The former executive director of the West Carthage Housing Authority (WCHA) has been sentenced to serve five years of probation for a scheme that allowed her to steal more than $48,000 in WCHA funds. The office of New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced the sentencing on Aug. 7. Jefferson County District Attorney Kristyna Mills, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of the Inspector General (HUD OIG), and the New York State Police were also involved in the investigation. Hoffman was sentenced before Judge David Renzi in Jefferson County Court. The sentencing of Hoffman’s mother, Katherine (Katie) Pais, who pled guilty to aiding in and concealing the scheme, was adjourned to June 2, 2025, DiNapoli’s office said. Following their June 3 guilty pleas and prior to sentencing, the pair paid back $48,930 in restitution to the West Carthage Housing Authority. “Hoffman and Pais betrayed the public trust in their scheme to steal over $48,000 in funds meant to support seniors and people with disabilities residing in the West Carthage Housing Authority,” DiNapoli said in the announcement. “I thank Jefferson County District Attorney Kristyna S. Mills, the HUD Inspector General, and the State Police for partnering with my office to hold them accountable for their crimes.” “The defendants took advantage of their position and violated the public trust by defrauding HUD-assisted housing programs of scarce taxpayer dollars intended to provide housing to individuals and seniors with disabilities,” Vicky Vazquez, special agent-in-charge with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, said in the announcement. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates HUD OIG’s steadfast commitment to working with our prosecutorial, law enforcement and oversight partners to aggressively pursue those who engage in activities that threaten the integrity of HUD programs.”

Case background

Hoffman served as the executive director of the West Carthage Housing Authority, a government-funded apartment complex for low-income senior citizens and people with disabilities, from 2016 to 2021. Pais, Hoffman’s mother, was hired as a vendor to act as an accounts payable bookkeeper at the housing authority from 2016 to 2020. Based upon an anonymous tip, DiNapoli’s office and the HUD OIG commenced an investigation of all monies controlled by Hoffman and found that she had been making personal purchases with housing authority funds since 2016, her entire tenure as executive director. In total, Hoffman stole more than $48,000 from the authority using its financial accounts and credit lines to pay unauthorized personal expenses, including retail and grocery purchases, and to fund her and her family’s personal cell-phone expenses. She also submitted more than $1,000 in additional false reimbursement claims. Through her role as the accounts payable bookkeeper, Pais was responsible for reviewing claims and preparing checks for payment. She abused her position in order to facilitate her daughter’s theft by making the illicit payments and then falsifying authority records to conceal her daughter’s crimes, according to the comptroller. “This sentencing should serve as a reminder that those who manipulate innocent victims will be brought to justice. Our joint investigation determined that the suspects in this case violated the public trust by circumventing financial accounts intended to fund safe housing for individuals,” New York State Police Superintendent Steven James said in the DiNapoli announcement. “I thank the Comptroller’s Office, Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Office of the Inspector General for their partnership in this case.”