Theft of VA funds from mentally disabled vets abounds, report finds
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A man stands at Bay Pines National Cemetery in Florida on May 28, 2012.
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A newspaper investigation found that millions of dollars--$14.7 million since 1998—was pilfered by representatives meant to manage incoming VA funds for brain-damaged or memory-impaired veterans.
Some of the theft cases found went on for more than a decade, with the largest cons ranging from $900,000 to $2 million, according to the report from the San Antonio Express-News, a part of Hearst Newspapers.
When the Veterans Affairs Department appoints a family member or even a stranger to manage the accounts, the funds are not adequately tracked, the story shows.
In one particular case outlined, a Memphis duo set up a dozen mentally disabled veterans’ accounts, stealing from all of them and gambling the money away at Mississippi casinos.
The story also contends that when the fraud is discovered, only a fraction of the suspects face criminal charges.
Source: San Antonio Express-News
