Charges Unlikely in Housing Probe

LONGVIEW — No criminal charges are expected against Longview Housing Authority employees after municipal and police probes into city policy violations and apparent abuse of power found no laws were broken, city leaders said Tuesday. Longview police detectives and city administrators in the past month investigated allegations made by at least two landlords who said they were strong-armed in September and October by housing authority management for the benefit of a client who is thought to be related to Anji Johnson, manager of the authority.

Johnson, Housing Supervisor Cheteva Marshall and a 20-year senior caseworker, Tonya Pierce, were placed on six months’ job probation after a municipal probe showed they tried to pressure a landlord into approving client LaTonya Ivory’s application for rental housing through the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program. The investigation also found the trio pressured Ivory’s previous landlord to return a $700 security deposit.