San Francisco Man Swipes $340K in Housing Funds, Buys a Timeshare, Gets Just a Year In Prison

San Francisco Man Swipes $340K in Housing Funds, Buys a Timeshare, Gets Just a YearPhoto byStock Image

By Kristy Tallman, September 13, 2024

SAN FRANCISCO – Gregory Finkelson must be feeling pretty lucky right about now. After scamming over $340,000 in Section 8 housing funds, buying a timeshare in Hawaii, and funding his business with money meant for low-income families, the man somehow managed to walk away with just one year in prison.

The 64-year-old, who should’ve been paying rent, claimed he didn’t own the home he lived in—because technically, a Russian national “bought” it for him. Not only did he pretend to be renting from someone else, but he opened fake bank accounts in the name of this mysterious Russian to cover his tracks. For 14 years, he got away with it, pocketing government subsidies while his property appreciated to a cool $2.4 million.

And what did Finkelson do with the money he swiped? Oh, just the usual—paid his credit card bills, boosted his business, and splurged on that Hawaiian timeshare. Meanwhile, low-income families who actually needed housing were left waiting.

The judge finally caught up with him, though. On September 9, 2023, U.S. District Judge James Donato sentenced Finkelson to one year in prison—yes, just one—along with three years of supervised release. He also has to cough up $341,455 in restitution, but that’s a small price to pay when your home’s worth millions.

Finkelson’s fraud started back in 2006 and somehow lasted until 2020, with the San Francisco Housing Authority none the wiser. It wasn’t until the FBI, HUD’s Office of the Inspector General, and the IRS got involved that his little scheme came crashing down. But even with all that, a year behind bars seems like a slap on the wrist for a guy who was paying for his Hawaiian vacations with taxpayer dollars.

And just to top it off, Finkelson has until September 16 to surrender to authorities. So, who knows, maybe he’ll squeeze in one last trip to the islands before reporting to prison.

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By Kristy Tallman, September 13, 2024
The Republic News
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of California

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