On June 8, 2023, a 30-year-old military veteran from North Little Rock, Arkansas was sentenced for theft of public money and making a false statement or representation to a department or agency of the United States. The accused had pled guilty to the charges earlier in the year. The veteran, like his father, was an alumnus of West Point Military Academy. In 2018, the veteran falsely claimed a psychological stressor in the process of applying for VA benefits, asserting they were present when a cadet died during a field training exercise at the academy. Subsequently, he was granted benefits for a mental health condition, including back pay to 2018.

However, in May 2020, potential fraud was suspected regarding the veteran’s benefits. Investigations revealed that the veteran was not present when the cadet died, which meant they had made a false statement to the Veterans Benefits Administration to obtain these benefits. Further, it was discovered that the physician’s signature on a disability benefits questionnaire for the veteran was fabricated, having been cut and pasted from another document.

Interestingly, the veteran’s father held a position of responsibility at the Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Office, overseeing the work of employees processing veteran disability claims and benefits. In January 2023, the young veteran pled guilty and was sentenced to four months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. They were also ordered to pay over $91,000 in restitution. The sentencing on June 8, 2023, was delivered by a United States District Judge.