GRIMY TIMES EXCLUSIVE — A gang of nine South Florida residents stands accused of a massive $800,000 theft from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). According to federal charges, the suspects, including Mary Flynn, 67, of Miami, and George Byrnes, 55, of Coral Springs, systematically siphoned off VA funds meant for deceased veterans’ beneficiaries.
The accused failed to report the deaths of these recipients, allowing the fraudulent payments to continue for years. In one instance, Leroy Weston, 58, of Pembroke Pines, is charged with fraudulently collecting over $800,000 for a period of 14 years.
Wifredo A. Ferrer, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Monty Stokes, Special Agent in Charge of the VA OIG Criminal Investigations Division, announced the charges. If convicted, each defendant faces up to 10 years in prison for the theft of government funds, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gera Peoples and Jonathan Stratton are leading the prosecution against the accused, who include Marta Correa, 58, of Miami; Judy Jasiecki, 54, of Davie; Gregory Kramer, 64, of Fort Pierce; Devorah Rosello, 52, of Miami; Beverly Anne Garcia, 62, of Lake Worth; and Peggy Karrh, 61, of Royal Palm Beach.
The VA OIG Criminal Investigations Division is credited with their investigative efforts. The charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. For more information on this case, visit www.flsd.uscourts.gov or http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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Key Facts
- State: Florida
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Public Corruption|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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