MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A multi-agency law enforcement operation targeting fugitives and criminal activity in federally assisted housing communities resulted in 24 arrests, including 17 made by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General and seven additional arrests through the Memphis Safe Task Force.
Operation Clean House: Memphis focused on locating and apprehending individuals with outstanding warrants and addressing criminal activity affecting HUD-supported communities.
According to officials, most of the 24 people arrested were current HUD program participants who were taken into custody inside HUD housing units. Several of those arrested reportedly had extensive criminal histories or were facing multiple active charges at the time of their apprehension.
In addition to arrests, investigators conducted several non-custodial interviews and assisted the U.S. Marshals Service-led Memphis Safe Task Force with additional warrant operations, including cases involving the recovery of weapons.
Authorities said the operation highlighted strong cooperation among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies and resulted in the safe resolution of multiple high-risk warrants.
Overall, the initiative disrupted criminal activity impacting residents of HUD-supported housing communities and removed several wanted individuals from the streets.
“Demonstrating exceptional work by the Memphis Safe Task Force, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General, and other law enforcement partners, Operation Clean House: Memphis led to the successful apprehension of dangerous fugitives wanted on felony warrants who were residing in HUD-subsidized housing,” said HUD Acting Inspector General Brian D. Harrison. “Defeating fraud in housing remains a top priority for HUD OIG. HUD housing is America’s housing serving millions of deserving Americans, and we are unwavering in our commitment to ensuring accountability throughout HUD’s programs.”
“The success of this unique operation is a direct result of outstanding interagency cooperation,” said Tyreece Miller, U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Tennessee. “Working with HUD OIG, we were able to serve arrest warrants and remove dangerous individuals from our community safely and effectively. When agencies work together with a common mission, our communities are safer.”
Officials encouraged the public to report suspected crime, waste, fraud, or abuse involving HUD programs through the HUD OIG Hotline at 1-800-347-3735 or online at https://www.hudoig.gov/hotline.
