QuickTake:

Miranda Wilcox, a former payroll specialist at Lane County’s public housing agency, pleaded guilty in August to a series of thefts that resulted in losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars, prosecutors have said in court documents.

A former employee of Lane County’s public housing agency was sentenced on Wednesday, Nov. 5, to four years and seven months in prison for thefts from the agency that a prosecutor said totaled “over half a million dollars.”

Miranda Wilcox, 59, pleaded guilty Aug. 20 to six counts of aggravated first-degree theft. Police have said she worked as a payroll specialist at the agency, which is called Homes for Good.

Wilcox avoided the maximum sentence for first-degree theft. Each count is considered a Class B felony, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to court documents.

A LinkedIn page for Wilcox previously listed her working from 2015 through September of last year at Homes for Good.

Jacob Fox, executive director of Homes for Good, told the court about the agency’s work.

“We manage taxpayer dollars and provide stability and support to over 5,000 at any one time,” Fox said.

In addition to the financial sting, Fox said the thefts resulted in a loss of “extensive time and resources to investigate and address” what prosecutors called embezzlement.

“We are grateful this chapter is closing so we can turn our attention to what matters most,” Fox said. Fox told Lookout Eugene-Springfield before the hearing he would not have any additional comment about the case beyond his statement in court.

Spencer Gwartney, a senior prosecutor with the Lane County District Attorney’s office, said the crimes committed by Wilcox contained aggravating factors, a legal term that can refer to the severity of the crime.

Wilcox “used the identities of fellow co-workers in the system to get money for herself,” Gwartney said, adding that this aspect of the crime, if it had not been uncovered, “potentially put her fellow employees at risk of prosecution.”

Lane County Circuit Court Judge Michelle Bassi asked about restitution, and Gwartney said the answer was complicated because there is “an insurance aspect to it.” Gwartney said he expected to file a motion in court later to amend the judgment and address the issue of restitution.

The indictment filed against Wilcox listed the thefts as starting in 2022 and taking place until mid-September of last year. Each theft count was for more than $50,000, according to the affidavit.

An indictment filed June 6 also listed 21 counts of identity theft, but as part of a plea agreement those charges were dismissed.

Homes for Good is an independent agency that offers help to low-income Lane County residents seeking affordable housing. The agency’s revenues mostly come from the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development, money paid by tenants and grant support, according to an audit report for the year ending Sept. 30, 2024, posted on the agency’s website. It’s the most recent audit report on the agency’s website.

Brian Walker, the defense attorney representing Wilcox, described her as a woman who viewed herself as needing to provide for her family, telling the court that a parent had moved into her household and that her husband became disabled after a trucking accident, with other relatives also struggling.

Wilcox also addressed the court, standing to deliver a statement expressing “everlasting shame.”

“I know I’ve cast a shadow over something that should be a source of pride and hope,” Wilcox said, speaking of how her actions were a betrayal of values and of “people I respected and admire.”

“You deserved so much better from me,” Wilcox said.

Bassi told Wilcox that her actions are “taking you away from those that rely on you.”

“I think you used the word betrayal, and I think that was accurate,” Bassi said before Wilcox was handcuffed and led out of the courtroom.