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Police: Gun Store Theft Twins' Mom Defrauded Public Housing

Officials: Lesa Hill Lived Rent-Free For More Than 7 Years

POSTED: 3:52 pm EST December 30, 2008
UPDATED: 8:16 pm EST December 30, 2008

The mother of twin teenage sons convicted in a July gun store break-in is herself in trouble with the law after authorities determined she had misused taxpayer money to live rent-free for more than seven years.

Lesa Hill (pictured), 43, was charged with one count of welfare fraud and one count of theft after police undertook a larger investigation following the gun store theft.


Raw Video: Gun Store Break-In

Officials said that Hill failed to disclose incidents that had occurred at her home that would have precluded her from receiving public housing.

Hill's juvenile sons will remain jailed until they turn 18. The boys, who were supposed to be on home detention, used a stolen vehicle to break into Don's Guns & Galleries and take firearms that have since been recovered.

The gun shop incident led investigators to probe Hill's living arrangements in public housing, Call 6's Rafael Sanchez reported.

Housing officials said Hill will have to pay back nearly $38,000. Police said her activities were connected to what they called a network of crime that had been terrorizing Indianapolis neighborhoods.

An Indianapolis police sweep that stemmed from the Don's Guns investigation landed 20 other people in jail and sparked an ongoing investigation into 43 others for alleged drug and firearms violations.

"People thought they were immune from any consequences if they were living in public housing," said Indianapolis police Maj. Doug Allender.

The owner of the gun shop, Don Davis, said the latest developments came as no surprise to him.

"Maybe some good came out of all this, and I think some good's going to come out of the boys being in prison," Davis said. "Somebody was going to get killed."

"It really points to everyday safety," said Indianapolis police Lt. Marshall DePew. "The average taxpayer out there may not be feeling this direct threat, but it certainly impacts everyone with the quality of life."

Hill's sons were sentenced to three years in detention. She was being held Tuesday on $10,000 bond.

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