Former Fairfield Housing Authority Director Sentenced in Embezzlement Case

The former executive director of the Fairfield Housing Authority was sentenced to home confinement and probation Wednesday.

Elizabeth Jo Gutierrez, 47, of Ridgefield, pleaded guilty to one count of theft concerning programs receiving federal funds in June 2013; yesterday she was sentenced to five years of probation, the first six months of which she must spend in home confinement under electronic monitoring.

According to court documents, Gutierrez embezzled $30,000 from the Fairfield Housing Authority during her time as executive director. In the summer of 2011, she issued two checks, each in the amount of $15,000, from the Fairfield Housing Authority’s checking account and subsequently deposited them into her own checking account, according to documents.

In addition to probation, Gutierrez was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $30,000.

The Fairfield Housing Authority administers federal housing programs for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with the mission of providing affordable housing for eligible low-income families and the elderly.