Chad Paul Jacob, VA Property Theft, Mississippi 2021

State: Mississippi
Category: White Collar Crime
Source: <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms/pr/biloxi-va-employee-pleads-guilty-stealing-va-property" style="color:#cc0000;" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">DOJ Press Release ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Â Ã¢â‚¬â€

A shocking case of corruption has come to light in the state of Mississippi, as a Biloxi VA employee has pleaded guilty to stealing government property. Chad Paul Jacob, 54, of Saucier, Mississippi, worked as the Assistant Chief of Supply Chain Management for the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System.

According to court documents, Jacob stole personal protective equipment (‘PPE’), electronics, and medical equipment, which he resold at local pawn stores and on his personal eBay account. This egregious behavior began in 2019 and continued until December 2020. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jacob stole N-95 masks and resold them for grossly inflated prices.

During this time, Jacob made more than $50,000 selling the stolen N-95 masks and over $9,000 selling stolen iPads and iPhones. The VA Office of Inspector General has been aggressively investigating COVID-19-related fraud and criminal activity since the onset of the pandemic, and Jacob’s guilty plea demonstrates this ongoing effort.

The VA Office of Inspector General is investigating the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk is prosecuting the case. Jacob is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2021, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

The U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors will be taken into consideration when determining Jacob’s sentence. This case serves as a reminder of the importance of accountability and the consequences of engaging in such egregious behavior.

The people of Mississippi deserve to know that those who take advantage of public health emergencies to commit fraud will be held accountable. The guilty plea of Chad Paul Jacob is a significant step towards justice in this case.

As the investigation continues, the VA Office of Inspector General will work tirelessly to ensure that those responsible for this behavior are brought to justice.