JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A former Jacksonville Housing Authority employee is facing a felony charge, accused of stealing thousands of dollars from senior residents living in Centennial Tower in Springfield.
Annie Marie Grant was arrested in June after a City of Jacksonville Office of Inspector General Investigation concluded she stole thousands of dollars from residents living in the high-rise senior community.
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According to a release from the OIG, Grant deposited at least $10,625 worth of money orders given to her by residents to pay their rent into her own financial accounts between May 2021 and April 2022.
Barbara Shader has lived in Centennial Tower for several years and told Action News Jax she had heard rumors of an employee stealing rent.
“I heard about it after the fact. You know, and I just couldn’t believe it. It was like, how could they be so low?” Shader said.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office police report on its investigation into Grant suggests she may have stolen even more than prosecutors were able to charge her with.
The report states JHA reported using $17,522.50 of agency funds to rectify unprocessed rent payments that were believed to have been stolen by Grant.
“The ex-JHA employee, Annie Grant, was terminated from her position in FY 2022 for theft. JHA is requesting full restitution and prison time for Grant,” said a JHA spokesperson in an emailed statement. “JHA will not tolerate any form of theft by current or former employees or vendors, and will continue to investigate crimes and seek prosecution, including but not limited to prison time.”
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Upon hearing of Grant’s arrest, Shader told us she was relieved.
“I mean you did it to the poorest people around. You know, we can’t afford to pay our rent twice. You know, we’re lucky to do it once,” Shader said.
And Shader said she believes lessons have been learned.
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“We’ve got some good people in there now that, you know, we aren’t too worried about it,” Shader said.
Grant has pleaded not guilty. Her next court date is set for August 18.
Action News Jax has learned that the OIG discovered in early 2024 that the former CEO of JHA, Dwayne Alexander, knew about an employee theft but never reported it to the OIG. It’s unclear if that case was the same one involving Grant.
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