United Community Housing Coalition
Coverage of United Community Housing Coalition in the Nexus archive.
- Deed fraud is ‘growing crime wave’: What to know
Two women in Metro Detroit, Zina Thomas and Jontae Jackson, were sentenced to federal prison for stealing approximately 100 properties in Detroit worth $6.4 million through fraudulent deeds. Thomas, a director at the United Community Housing Coalition, and Jackson, a taxpayer assistant at Wayne County Treasurer’s Office, conspired to exploit properties at risk of tax foreclosure. The fraud targeted vulnerable homeowners, and victims often discover the theft when confronted with eviction.
- Ex-county employee, nonprofit director sentenced in bribery scheme to defraud low-income Detroiters
An ex-Wayne County Treasurer’s Office employee and a Detroit nonprofit director were sentenced for a 2024 bribery scheme involving fraudulent quitclaim deeds to steal properties from low-income homeowners. The scheme deprived Wayne County of $1.5M in tax revenue and involved transferring ownership to non-existent entities before selling properties.