Army vet exaggerated his PTSD and injuries to cash in on benefits in Florida, feds say
A Florida veteran pleaded guilty on charges of theft of government money after he was accused of lying on forms to receive higher disability benefits, federal officials said.
The 43-year-old Pace resident served eight years in the United States Army, ending in 2009, federal prosecutors said in an Oct. 30 news release.
After finishing his service, he applied for benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, according to the release.
Based on the answers he gave during physical examinations and mental health evaluations, the veteran was given a 100% disability rating and started receiving money from the VA, the Social Security Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services, federal prosecutors said.
Between 2009 and February 2023, the veteran received $683,068.30 in benefit payments, prosecutors said.
However, officials said he lied in order to get the 100% benefit rating.
The veteran’s attorney, Randall Lockhart, could not immediately be reached for comment.
“An investigation revealed that (the veteran) provided false information to medical personnel during his examination at the VA clinic in Pensacola, Florida. (The veteran) falsely stated he had been severely injured in an explosion while serving in Iraq, which he claimed resulted in paralysis and his confinement to a wheelchair since 2007,” federal prosecutors said.
Prosecutors said the veteran also altered his VA forms that were submitted to a mental health professional and “gave the impression (his) medical condition relating to PTSD was much more severe than it was.”
If the veteran had been honest in his exams, prosecutors said in court documents he would have received only a 30% benefit rating, cutting his payments by more than two-thirds.
“By falsely claiming he suffered catastrophic service-related injuries, (the veteran) selfishly defrauded the federal government, but more significantly stole resources that were intended for the brave men and women who have valiantly served our country,” U.S. District Attorney Jason R. Coody said in the news release.
The veteran pleaded guilty to charges of theft of government money and providing false statements, and his sentencing is set for Jan. 17, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison for the theft charge and five years on the false statements charge.
Pace is about 200 miles west of Tallahassee.
