Lewiston developer Soule faces charges
Lewiston developer Travis Soule has been charged with fraud and embezzlement for misusing federal housing funds.
The charges follow a 2009 investigation by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of the Inspector General into irregularities in loan applications for HUD funding to repair his rental properties in the Twin Cities, according to the Sun Journal. The complaint filed against Soule alleges he received $180,000 in HUD funds between June 2007 and May 2008 for projects at three properties on Pine Street in Lewiston that he did not complete, but rather forged contractors' signatures and pocketed the money. The complaint also alleges Soule embezzled money from the HOME Investment Partnership Program by using checks and vouchers for his own personal use. The funds came from HUD's HOME loan program, which targets affordable housing for low-income families.
Soule's lawyer and the U.S. Attorney's Office are seeking to extend until July 1 the federal government's deadline to indict him, giving the attorney's office an option to work out a deal to avoid indictment or trial. If convicted, Soule faces up to $500,000 in fines and 15 years in prison, according to the paper.
It's not Soule's only legal trouble. Last year, a superior court ordered him to pay a former contractor $66,000 for work done on Soule's condo development project in Auburn. In 2009, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency filed complaints against Soule alleging 51 violations of the federal lead disclosure law. A pending civil case initiated by a former business partner claims Soule mismanaged rental properties in the Twin Cities and stole thousands of dollars.
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