Two Lancaster County women admitted they led a scheme to defraud a federal rent assistance program of more than $280,000 during the coronavirus pandemic by getting 14 people into the program who didn’t actually qualify.
Brandice Reyes-Alvarez, 42, and her friend, Adelina White, 37, pleaded guilty Wednesday to theft, conspiracy, forgery and related offenses.
Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker sentenced Reyes-Alvarez to six to 23 months in county jail, with eight months to be spent on house arrest after serving her minimum sentence, followed by two years of probation. She must also pay $9,070 in restitution.
Reinaker sentenced White, of Lancaster Township, to house arrest for one year, and four years of probation. She had no restitution. He made both women eligible for work release.
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Reyes-Alvarez, of Leola, was a Lancaster County Housing and Redevelopment Authority employee when the pandemic assistance program began and approved new enrollees, some of whom were recommended by White. While Reyes-Alvarez herself did not directly receive program money, some of the participants paid her kickbacks.
The authority fired Reyes-Alvarez on July, 5, 2022, five days after the executive director uncovered the fraud. The scheme involved either creating bogus landlords, who could then access program money, or falsely indicating that landlords refused to take part in the program. Under program rules, that meant program money could be given to tenants directly.
Reyes-Alvarez said it was never her intent to defraud the government, but she had lost her job and house during the pandemic, then got hired at the housing authority. She said she ran into other people in dire situations and was trying to help.
“Before I knew it, word of mouth spread,” she said, adding she was “coming from a good place in my heart. I was just trying to be a good friend.”
Since her arrest, Reyes-Alvarez said she’s been humiliated and shamed, lost her car, a job and the trust of her three children. Her sisters no longer speak to her, she said.
Reyes-Alvarez also maintained that some people did use the money for rent, which Assistant District Attorney Mark Fetterman disputed.
“The defendant took advantage of a national emergency,” Fetterman said, pointing out that the money ultimately came from taxpayers.
Reyes-Alvarez “basically recruited friends to defraud the government,” Fetterman said.
Reinaker said taking kickbacks showed Reyes-Alvarez knew she wasn’t following the program’s rules.
And there was “something infuriating” about taking advantage of a program set up to help people in need during the pandemic.
“In the worst possible circumstances, you decided to take the worst possible approach,” Reinaker said.
White spoke less than Reyes-Alvarez, saying, “I am sorry and I should never have been involved in this situation.”
Other defendants' status
Because the women entered what is known as open guilty pleas, it was up to Reinaker to decide their sentences. The sentences fell in the standard guideline range and were in line with what Fetterman and defense attorneys sought. Neither woman had any prior record.
Nearly all other defendants have already pleaded guilty and have been sentenced to probation and ordered to repay the money they got.
Among the people Reyes-Alvarez and White are accused of helping enroll in the program are White’s husband, father-in-law and two sisters and Reyes-Alvarez’s boyfriend.
William White III, 39, who got $18,850 in rental money, is charged with theft and related offenses and is scheduled to plead guilty May 7. White’s father-in-law, William White Jr., 65, of Lancaster, pleaded guilty April 9 to theft and related charges and was sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay $19,250 in restitution.
White’s sister Eladio Hernandez-Matos, 24, of Lancaster, is charged with theft and related offenses and is scheduled to plead guiltyMay 3. She is accused of benefiting by around $20,000.
White’s sister Tatiana Hernandez-Matos, 26, of Lititz, pleaded guilty to theft and related charges April 8 and was sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay $18,750 in restitution.
Reyes-Alvarez’s boyfriend, Leonard Streeter, 35, of Lancaster, is charged with theft and related offenses and is scheduled to plead guilty May 1.
Others charged and their cases statuses are:
• Danaziah Garcia, 25, of Rapho Township, pleaded guilty March 31 to theft and related charges. Sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay $20,300 in restitution.
• Danari Garcia, 27, of Leola, pleaded guilty April 15 to theft and related charges. Sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay $19,240 in restitution.
• Dustin Branch, 35 of Lancaster, pleaded guilty April 16 to theft and related charges. Sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay $19,500 in restitution.
• Alyssa Cruz, 25, of Manheim, pleaded guilty April 9 to theft and related charges. Sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $18,525 in restitution.
• Kleisy Montas-Rivera, 29, of Lancaster, pleaded guilty April 9 to theft and related charges. Sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay $16,800 in restitution.
• Marisol Reed, 47, of Lancaster, pleaded guilty April 10 to theft and related charges. Sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay $21,700 in restitution.
• Briana Robles, 29, of Lancaster, pleaded guilty April 9 to theft and related charges. Sentenced to four years of probation and ordered to pay $20,625 in restitution.
• Amanda Martin, 33, of Lancaster, is charged with theft and related offenses and is scheduled to plead guilty April 30.
• The case of Matthew Nelson, 36, of Leola, charged with theft and related offenses, is still pending.
