Tallahassee Woman Indicted on 46 Counts for Defrauding Housing Authority of $378,000

TALLAHASSEE — A federal grand jury indicted a 45-year-old Tallahassee woman on 46 criminal counts for allegedly defrauding the Tallahassee Housing Authority of $378,000, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida John P. Heekin announced.

Lekishaann Huggins faces 39 counts of bank fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, four counts of spending money laundering and two counts of filing a false tax return. Each bank fraud count alone carries up to 30 years’ imprisonment, while each money laundering count carries up to 10 years and each false tax return count up to 3 years. The aggravated identity theft count carries 2 years’ imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence.

Huggins appeared for arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee. Jury trial is scheduled for September 8, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. before United States Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor. She also faces restitution and forfeiture of assets if convicted.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General. Heekin’s office identified the prosecution as part of the Task Force to Eliminate Fraud launched by President Donald J. Trump, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within federal benefit programs.

The Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division on April 7 to investigate and prosecute those who commit fraud against the American people. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General.

An indictment is an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Huggins is presumed innocent, and the government bears the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. Her jury trial before Judge Winsor is set for September 8.