A Prairieville landlord was arrested after officials said he fraudulently took more than $79,000 from a government program meant to assist those on the verge of homelessness.

Brandon Brown, 53, was booked Wednesday into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on one count of committing theft by fraud in excess of $25,000.

Brown is accused of using multiple people's personal info — including from an employee of his, a relative and two actual tenants — to apply for pandemic-era government funds under the state's Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

In addition to falsifying the rent totals, Brown is accused of including tenants in applications who did not apply for assistance and of asserting ownership of rental properties he did not posess.

The program provides up to 15 months of rent and ut

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