A former commander of a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Oklahoma pleaded guilty to using casino ATMs to pull more than $40,000 in cash from the veteran organization’s bank accounts, according to federal authorities. (Joshua Magbanua/U.S. Air Force)
A former commander of a Veterans of Foreign Wars post in Oklahoma pleaded guilty Monday to using casino ATMs to pull more than $40,000 in cash from the veteran organization’s bank accounts and spend it on his mortgage and other personal expenses, according to federal authorities.
Michael Bruce Colley, 65, of Marlow, Okla., was charged in September with wire fraud, according to the Justice Department. As the commander of VFW Post 1192 in Duncan, Colley controlled the finances and made more than 30 unauthorized withdrawals between January 2019 and June 2021.
He faces up to 20 years in federal prison, as well as a fine of up to $250,000. A date to sentence Colley has not been posted online.
The post was not able to recoup those funds and had to sell its building, said Jason Burns, the current commander of VFW Post 1192.
The Duncan post merged with VFW Post 4888 in nearby Marlow but kept the former Duncan post’s number because it was the older of the two, Burns said. Duncan is located about 80 miles south of Oklahoma City and has a population of roughly 22,000.
“We really haven’t moved forward yet,” Burns said. “We are fighting to stay alive.”
The post previously boasted a membership of more than 300 but it has dropped to about 180, he said. Only a handful of those left are active because some veterans have lost trust in the organization.
Colley commanded the post from about July 2018 until June 2021, according to court documents. As commander, he presided over meetings, enforced the rules, appointed committee members and made certain that other leaders performed their duties. Though not traditionally the role of the commander, he also controlled the finances during a portion of his tenure, according to court documents.
The post had five bank accounts with First Bank & Trust Co., and Colley almost exclusively used and controlled these accounts.
Beginning on about Jan. 30, 2019, and through June 18, 2021, Colley conducted his scheme using the VFW accounts. He first requested and received debit cards and then used them to make more than 30 unauthorized withdrawals from ATMs primarily located in casinos in Oklahoma.
Colley served more than 10 years in the Air Force as an aircraft fuel systems mechanic beginning in 1978, according to the Air Force Personnel Center. He last held the rank of staff sergeant.
