Man gets one year in jail for low-income-housing fraud

RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- A man was sentenced to a year in jail today for lying about his family's income and criminal history in order to fraudulently qualify for low-income housing.

Toan Van Ho, 59, was sentenced in West Valley Superior Court for three felony convictions -- fraud to obtain aid, and two counts of perjury, said Deputy District Attorney Mike Abney.

Prosecutors accused Ho of misrepresenting his sons' criminal records and incomes when he filled out an application for low-income housing with the Housing Authority of San Bernardino County, Abney said.

People with certain types of criminal convictions or incomes over a set level are ineligible for low-income housing, Abney said.

In January last year, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department conducted a sweep targeting low-income-housing fraud and made 20 arrests.

Ho, of Rancho Cucamonga, was one of about ten people convicted following the sweep, Abney said. He was convicted by a jury last month.

Ho was also ordered this morning to pay the county about $8,500 in restitution, Abney said.