A Moberly man was sentenced to prison Tuesday and ordered to repay $284,000 that he fraudulently obtained via a pandemic rental assistance scam.
Steven W. Hendren, 34, submitted numerous fraudulent applications for State Assistance for Housing Relief (SAFHR) rental assistance to the Missouri Housing Development Commission from March 2021 through June 2024.
The SAFHR program was designed to provide emergency assistance for rent, utility bills and other expenses during the pandemic.
Hendren pleaded guilty in June to one felony county of wire fraud and was sentenced to 27 months in prison.
A press release stated that he falsely listed himself as a landlord in the loan applications and included fake lease agreements and financial statements.
He also submitted other applications in which he fraudulently inflated rent amounts and altered lease agreements and financial statements.
Hendren received $284,840 and used it for personal purchases, including a 2020 GMC Yukon.
