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Defendant Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding VA, SSA of $501,709
A Dripping Springs woman has been sentenced to 46 months in prison for defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) of more than $500,000.
Josephine Casandra Perez-Gorda, 40, was found guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud; one count of mail fraud; one count of health care fraud; three counts of false statements related to a health care matter; one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud; and one count of theft of government funds.
Perez-Gorda defrauded the VA and SSA by overstating the severity and extent of her spouse’s disability from October 2011 through August 2017. Her spouse, an Army veteran, participated in the fraud. The couple claimed he was paralyzed from the waist down from an injury he suffered while on active duty.
The ruse included applying for and receiving a specially equipped vehicle, a specially adapted home and additional compensation based on his disability rating. The investigation began after a San Antonio news station aired a story that raised questions about the veteran’s paralysis.
VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) agents videotaped Perez-Gorda’s spouse walking around without assistance, contradicting his wife’s claim that he was paralyzed in both legs. Perez-Gorda furthered the scheme by completing all the VA and SSA paperwork claiming her spouse was paralyzed.
Perez-Gorda is responsible for paying $501,709.54 in restitution and a $100 special assessment on each of the 18 counts. She is also responsible for $100,000 for trial expenses. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the VA OIG, and the SSA OIG investigated the case, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Surovic and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Miller prosecuting the case.
Key Facts
- State: Texas
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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