Bruce Hauber, the former Executive Director of the American Falls Housing Authority, has been sentenced to five years of probation for theft of federal program funds, according to a statement by Acting U.S. Attorney Justin Whatcott. The 72-year-old from American Falls was accused of embezzling $129,022.38 from a federally funded public housing program between 2019 and 2023.
Court records indicate that Hauber began misusing the authority's credit cards for personal expenses starting in 2019. Purchases included meals, airplane tickets, home utilities, medical expenses, and various retail items. Hauber reportedly made payments for these personal expenses using funds from the housing authority and attempted to conceal his actions by creating fake checks and entering them into the housing authority's accounting system.
Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye ordered Hauber to pay $79,022.38 in restitution and also imposed eight months of home detention under location monitoring as part of his probation conditions.
Acting U.S. Attorney Whatcott remarked, "Our office will vigorously investigate and prosecute cases involving theft of public money. Bruce Hauber stole from the American taxpayer and deprived American Falls residents vital public housing funds."
Special Agent in Charge Machelle Jindra of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General noted, "Hauber deliberately orchestrated a fraudulent scheme to embezzle more than $125,000 in federal funds designated to provide housing assistance for elderly and disabled residents in American Falls, Idaho—a community of roughly, 4,500 people. The theft was especially harmful given the limited resources available to support the community."
Acknowledgment was given to the investigative efforts by the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the case being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Mazorol and Jack Haycock.
