Amy Dixon, 44, a former employee of the City of Amarillo, pleaded guilty today to embezzling more than $465,000 from funds designated for homeless shelters. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas, Leigha Simonton.
Dixon, who served as the Homeless Management Information Specialist, admitted to a charge of conspiracy to embezzle from a federally funded program. Her responsibilities included distributing funds through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development’s Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) Program. She worked with landlords, helped complete lease agreements, coordinated property inspections, and assembled payment vouchers.
Court documents revealed that in September 2020, Dixon used a relative's information to create a fake landlord and fraudulent payment vouchers. She instructed the Finance Department to notify her when vouchers were ready, signed the relative’s name, and deposited the funds into her personal account.
In April 2021, when HUD allowed inspections by outside companies, Dixon processed payments for fictitious properties. She created 223 fraudulent vouchers, leading to 66 checks for fake landlords, totaling $465,511.65.
Dixon now faces up to five years in federal prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Dallas Field Office – Amarillo Resident Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development – Office of Inspector General.
