U.S. Attorney Sanford Coats says a 16 month joint investigation of people allegedly making false claims about income to get financial housing assistance has resulted in the filing of multiple cases. Five indictments in the Western District of Oklahoma were unsealed. All are accused of falsely representing income. The defendants are:

Nkechi Carolina, 32, Oklahoma City.

Sonya Thomas, 45, Oklahoma City.

Bridgette Fletcher, 43, Oklahoma City.

Rachel Owens, 35, Oklahoma City.

Vivian Shelton, 50, Lawton.

Coats says a sixth indictment was unsealed in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. 

Monica Sevenstar, 34, Muldrow.

Coats says so far, a total of 22 criminal cases and 16 civil cases have been filed. If convicted, each defendant faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each count. Coats says currently, about 10,000 Oklahomans receive housing assistance, and another 12,000 are on the waiting list to get it.