Norma Cisneros McGowen accepted a federal plea deal on Thursday. She admitted to theft of public money – more specifically, $133,243.
Court records said in 2006 McGowen was approved as a landlord under a federal program and leased out a house to her mother. Then in 2012 she began to receive additional government checks for properties she did not own.
Those checks were signed by Velma Sue Cochran who became the Executive Director of the Floydada Housing Authority in 2005. Cochran previously accepted a plea deal for misprision of a felony and was sentenced in late January to probation and restitution.
Cochran admitted she knew McGowen was not entitled to the money but sent federal money via the housing authority to her anyway. McGowen embezzled more than $170,000 according to federal court records but paid more than $37,000 back.
Federal authorities confronted both women in 2014.
If her plea deal is accepted, McGowen will be sentenced at a later date to no more than 10 years in federal prison.
Related Story: Local housing authority ex-official charged with a federal crime
