Massachusetts Housing Official Charged With Using Public Funds To Renovate His Bathroom

The former executive director of the Watertown Housing Authority in Massachusetts was forced to step down after it was revealed he'd stolen thousands of taxpayer dollars from the organization to renovate the bathroom in his home.From 2019 to 2025, Michael Lara served as the executive director of the Watertown Housing Authority, which manages affordable public housing in the community and primarily serves low-income, disabled, and elderly populations.According to a criminal complaint filed against him in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Lara used organization credit cards to fund a home renovation project.Loading...A photo shared by federal prosecutors shows the bathroom after the renovation job, which included a double sink, mirror, and vanity lights.U.S. Attorney's Office, District of MassachusettsProsecutors say in 2023, he purchased around $6,200 in supplies to renovate a bathroom in his Norwood home—including a $1,600 double-vanity sink at Home Depot and additional purchases at a local bathroom showroom totaling around $3,100.Lara used these cards despite housing authority policy expressly forbidding the use of organization credit cards for personal purcha...