Former Bradenton housing official admits to theft

BRADENTON — Former Bradenton Housing Authority official Stephany West admitted to her role in a case where authorities say she spent dozens of hours on the clock doing non-work activities, from a massage and a movie outing to trips to Busch Gardens, Jamaica and Washington, D.C.

West, former project director at the BHA, an agency of the city of Bradenton, pleaded guilty to one count of theft of federal funds Feb. 24. She faces up to10 years in prison, in addition to a $250,000 fine.

The case, according to a plea agreement from the U.S. Attorney's office, centers around action West took from September 2010 through September 2013, when she accepted her regularly salary for hours not worked. Agencies that investigated West, through iPhone tracking, GPS tracking, SunPass data and other surveillance, include the Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the FBI. Authorities, in total, contend West stole $73,783 from the BHA by taking salary, benefits and bonuses she didn't earn and another $30,767 by cashing out unused annual sick leave.