Former Dallas Housing Authority Employee Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Stealing Government Funds

A former Dallas Housing Authority (DHA) maintenance supervisor who stole from DHA was sentenced to 2 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.

Joel Ipina, 50, pled guilty in November 2025 to theft concerning programs receiving government funds. He was sentenced on May 21, 2026, by United States District Judge Jane J. Boyle, who also ordered him to pay $473,641 in restitution.

"This defendant abused a position of trust to steal public funds intended to serve the Dallas community. This sentence reflects our commitment to protecting taxpayer-funded programs and holding accountable those who exploit them," said U.S. Attorney Raybould.

According to court documents, Ipina was employed by DHA from 1995 to 2024. DHA receives federal funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). As a maintenance supervisor, Ipina was responsible for approving maintenance work orders and selecting contractors to perform work on properties under his supervision.

From approximately August 2019 through February 2024, Ipina carried out a scheme to enrich himself by steering maintenance contracts to a company he owned and controlled without DHA's knowledge. As part of the scheme, he submitted fabricated competing bids to ensure contracts were awarded to his company and caused DHA to pay for work that was never performed.

"Joel Ipina's selfish actions diverted almost $500,000 in federal funds intended to provide housing services to vulnerable community members and also took away the opportunity for other actual hard-working companies to compete for contracts and provide services to the Housing Authority of the City of Dallas," said Acting Special Agent in Charge Aaron McCullough with the HUD, Office of Inspector General (OIG). "HUD OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to diligently pursue and hold accountable individuals who take advantage of their positions of trust and misuse public funds."

The HUD Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elise Aldendifer prosecuted the case.