Inside Job: DCA Temporary Employees Accused of Stealing Identities to Pocket Pandemic Housing Funds
ATLANTA, GA — Two former temporary state workers have been indicted in Fulton County for allegedly executing a identity theft scheme to pocket more than $36,000 in federal COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.
A Fulton County Grand Jury returned indictments against Jasmin Grant, 44, of Jonesboro, and Theresa Davis, 56, of East Point, on Thursday, June 4, 2026. The case was presented by the Georgia Attorney General’s White Collar and Cyber Crime Unit following a joint state investigation.
The defendants face the following charges:
- Jasmin Grant: Three counts of False Statements and Writings, three counts of Identity Fraud
- Theresa Davis: One count of Identity Fraud
Inside Access Used to Divert Relief Funds
According to the indictment, Grant and Davis were employed through a private staffing agency and assigned to work at the Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA). The agency was responsible for administering the state’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program—a federally funded relief initiative designed to help landlords and families facing housing insecurity or eviction due to financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Investigators allege that the women abused their internal access at the DCA to steal the identities of three separate individuals. They used these stolen personas to submit fraudulent rental assistance applications through the program. Rather than directing the financial aid to eligible tenants or landlords, the defendants allegedly routed the payouts directly into their own personal bank accounts, converting the entirety of the $36,000 in taxpayer funds for personal use.
State Vows Accountability for Pandemic Relief Fraud
The multi-agency probe was handled by the state’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the DCA, with investigative assistance from the Attorney General’s specialized financial crimes unit.
“The Emergency Rental Assistance Program was designed to help vulnerable Georgians keep a roof over their heads during an incredibly difficult time,” Attorney General Chris Carr said in a public release. “Those who sought to cheat the system not only stole from taxpayers, but they also robbed families of critical relief.”
Inspector General Nigel Lange emphasized that employment status would not shield corrupt workers from prosecution. “State employees, whether temporary or permanent, who seek to illegally further their own interests rather than those of the citizens they serve will be held accountable,” Lange stated. “These indictments send a clear message to any like-minded individuals.”
The state noted that this is part of a broader crackdown on housing relief fraud; earlier this year, Carr’s office secured the indictments of six other individuals involved in a separate, unrelated $230,000 scheme targeting the same DCA emergency rental program.
Arraignment dates for both Grant and Davis have not yet been finalized in Fulton County Superior Court.
Read a copy of the indictment (PDF, 2.48 MB) . No further information about the investigation or the indictment may be released at this time by the Attorney General’s Office.
