Annie Marie Grant, once employed by the Jacksonville Housing Authority, allegedly stole thousands of dollars meant to cover rent for seniors living in a Florida housing facility. Instead of forwarding the payments to the housing authority, she reportedly cashed in on the residents' money orders, depositing them into her own accounts. The fraud came to light after several residents noticed their payments hadn’t been properly credited.
Investigators found that between May 2021 and April 2022, Grant accepted these money orders, signed them over to herself, and used a mobile banking app for deposits. Some funds were also transferred to her PayPal account. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office traced and confirmed at least $10,625 missing from the rent payments.
Following complaints from the affected seniors, the City of Jacksonville's Inspector General launched an investigation that revealed this misuse of funds. The State Attorney’s Office pressed charges for exploitation of an aged adult, placing the amount stolen between $10,000 and $50,000.
Grant was arrested in June, fired from her position, and the housing authority is pushing for full restitution along with a prison sentence. The victims confirmed the money was exclusively intended for their rent, highlighting the severity of the breach of trust.
