A former Massachusetts resident is at the center of a federal fraud case after prosecutors say more than $100,000 meant to keep renters housed during the pandemic instead disappeared into bank transfers and crypto.
A federal grand jury in Boston returned an indictment on April 24, 2026, charging 45-year-old Yvonette Joseph with allegedly stealing over $100,000 in Emergency Rental Assistance funds. Joseph, formerly of Holliston and now living in Minneapolis, faces two counts of theft of government money and two counts of unlawful monetary transactions, federal officials said. The money came from a program designed to help low-income tenants stay afloat during the COVID-19 emergency.
According to Boston 25 News, charging documents say Joseph received Emergency Rental Assistance payments in or about November 2021 from the California Department of Housing & Community Development after applicants listed her as the landlord of a Los Angeles property. Instead of going toward rent, arrears or utilities, prosecutors say the cash flowed into accounts Joseph controlled…