Geary Simon, a 71-year-old resident of the District of Columbia, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for defrauding the STAY DC rental housing assistance program and for possessing a firearm as a felon. This was announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Simon, also known as "Robert Sutton," pleaded guilty on November 18, 2024, to wire fraud related to a presidentially declared disaster or emergency and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Besides his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Simon to serve three years of supervised release and pay $38,560 in restitution to the D.C. government.
Court documents reveal that Simon obtained $38,560 from the Stronger Together by Assisting You D.C., or STAY DC program. The initiative aimed to provide financial aid during the Covid pandemic for tenants' housing and utility expenses due to income loss. In April 2021, $352 million in federal relief funds were allocated for this program, with applications submitted through an online portal managed by the D.C. Department of Human Services.
On June 22, 2021, Simon applied to the program falsely claiming he rented property at 2433 H Street NW and owed his landlord "Robert Sutton" $72,000 in rent arrears. These claims were untrue; Simon neither rented at that address nor had any landlord named "Robert Sutton." The contact information provided was controlled by Simon himself.
Unaware of these fabrications, DC-DHS approved Simon's application and issued him a check for $38,560 which was deposited into an account under "The Geary Stephen Simon 2016 Irrevocable Trust."
Simon used these funds for private school tuition and court-ordered child support payments.
On March 14, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Simon’s home and found two firearms. Due to prior felony convictions including carrying a pistol without a license, federal law prohibited him from possessing firearms.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case which is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Borchert.
