Former Worcester Housing Official Receives Fraud Sentence

WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS – On Monday, March 28, a former City of Worcester employee was sentenced for fraud in U.S. District Court in Worcester.

After a jury trial in August, Jacklyn M. Sutcivni, 48, of Dracut, was sentenced to 40 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to conduct wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to defraud the United States, and false claims.

In August 2016, Sutcivni and James E. Levin were charged. Levin pleaded guilty in September and was sentenced to 37 months in jail in March.

Levin asked for and received monies from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development through the City of Worcester to repair the 5 May St. building, according to federal prosecutors. Levin made seven payment requests to the City for work on the building that he fraudulently claimed he accomplished and associated expenditures.

Sutcivni, a former employee of Worcester's Housing Development Office, is accused of approving Levin's payment requests while knowing they were fake, according to authorities. The City of Worcester allegedly paid Levin $2,365,050 as a result of this, according to the charges. Sutcivni or other City officials then applied for HUD funding refund. Sutcivni's position entailed analyzing payment requests for HUD grant funding as part of her responsibilities with the city.