Lewis County announced Tuesday that it has recovered $17,600 in Eviction Rent Assistance Program (ERAP) funds released to Benson Management Services LLC in 2022.
The repayment comes after Lewis County filed a lawsuit earlier this year against the property management company and its owner, Lance Benson.
According to a news release from the Lewis County Board of Commissioners, the county was first tipped off to the fraud by the state. The county filed the lawsuit after it was asked by the state Department of Commerce to return funds associated with the fraudulent activity.
The County says the 2022 ERAP funds were sent to Benson Management Services based on “misrepresentations” on an application that was also linked to another defendant.
“The county later learned, through correspondence from the Department of Commerce and follow-up investigation, that the rental arrangement described in the application was allegedly fictitious,” the release states.
The county said it has now been repaid all of the misused funds by Benson and Benson Management Services after taking legal action with the help of the Lewis County Prosecutor’s Office.
Lewis County Commissioner Scott Brummer weighed in on the development to assure county residents that taxpayer money is safe with the county.
“We take the protection of taxpayer money seriously, and will hold people accountable when they abuse public trust,” Brummer said. “This outcome sends a clear message that fraud against the county will not be tolerated.”
According to the news release, Lewis County’s original legal claim alleged that Benson Management, and others associated with the business, submitted false documents to receive improper payments, resulting in Lewis County being required to return an equivalent amount to the State of Washington.
The county added that it not only sought reimbursement of the fraudulent funds but also called for additional remedies for the breach of agreement and fraudulent activity.
