Federal agents search Ohio home of prominent affordable housing developer

By The Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) — Federal agents searched the Ohio home of a prominent real estate developer who owns affordable housing properties and senior living centers across 26 states.

Agents with the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Agriculture descended Wednesday on the Cleveland-area home of Millennia Companies owner Frank Sinito.

The raid comes months after HUD barred Millennia Companies from receiving any new federal contracts with the department for five years. The move followed a HUD inspector general investigation that found $4.9 million in missing or misappropriated money from 19 Millennia properties that were insured or subsidized by HUD.

Sinito’s attorney, Marisa Darden, confirmed in a statement that federal agents were at Sinito’s home and said he and the company were cooperating with the investigation.

“It is important to remember that an investigation is just that,” Darden said. “There have been no arrests and no charges filed.”

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment.

Millennia Companies owns roughly 280 apartment developments along with several large office and apartment buildings in Cleveland.