The arrest of Robinson, 43, of Middletown is the first arrest involving alleged improper use of Section 8 funds since September when five people — two landlords and three tenants — were arrested on felony-level theft charges.
Middletown officials have vowed to clean up the Section 8 program, claiming it has led to increases in crime in the city. More than 1,600 people hold vouchers for Section 8 housing from Middletown, which is more than all cities in Butler County combined.
Police have been investigating landlords and tenants attempting to take advantage of the Section 8 system since the spring of 2011. The police have been aided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General.
Robinson was arrested on April 2 on a theft charge, a fourth-degree felony, for allegedly collecting $19,353 of Section 8 rent payments from his girlfriend while living in her apartment. The alleged collection started in 2009, said Middletown police Lt. Scott Reeve.
“He was collecting rent as if he was a landlord but he was living there,” Reeve said.
The girlfriend has not been charged in the case, he said.
Robinson’s preliminary hearing was continued to May 18.
Qualified people use Section 8 vouchers to lower their rent to typically no more than 30 percent of their income. The remaining cost of the rent is reimbursed to approved landlords by HUD through the local housing agency. There are 600 landlords in Middletown approved to take Section 8 vouchers, but tenants can use the vouchers outside of the city limits.
No new vouchers have been added since a moratorium in 2003.
Most area jurisdictions that administer vouchers serve less than 1 percent of their local low-income population, according to a city report. Middletown administers vouchers sufficient to serve 8.6 percent of the city’s population.
Changes to the city’s Section 8 program started around March 2011 when the city switched program administrators. Nelson and Associates took over management of the program from Consoc Housing Consultants, which had been in charged of the program for 15 years.
The changes in administrators occurred because of “a number of irregularities became apparent,” said Middletown Community Revitalization Director Doug Adkins in January.
Reeve said the investigation is moving slow because of the amount of paperwork necessary. He said police investigators met on Wednesday with the Butler County prosecutor’s office to discuss the case.
“We have to make sure the prosecutor has all the questions answered,” he said.
Reeve said he expects more charges to be levied, but wouldn’t say when.
Staff Writer Chelsey Levingston contributed to this story.
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