AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – A former City of Amarillo employee has reached a plea agreement to a federal charge of Theft Concerning a Program Receiving Federal Funds. Selene Varela, reached the agreement today.
According to documents, Varela worked in the city’s Community Development Department off-and-on starting in 2014.
Documents show that Varela was filing fraudulent payment vouchers intended to assist homeless or soon to be homeless people seeking HUD assistance. A Factual Resume signed by Varela shows that she issued $6,600 in fraudulent payments to he own landlord in Sept. 2020. And also shows she issued 22 payments to her relatives from June 2021 to Aug. 2022…