LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley trucking school’s operators face federal charges for allegedly bilking the Department of Veterans Affairs out of over $4 million in a fraudulent tuition scheme.
Robert Waggoner, 54, and Emmit Marshall, 50, are accused of falsely certifying veterans’ attendance at their Chatsworth-based Alliance School of Trucking (AST), resulting in VA payments totaling nearly $4.3 million for programs never attended.
Waggoner was arrested at his residence this morning, while Marshall, the owner and president of AST, has agreed to self-surrender on Tuesday.
The scam worked by enrolling veterans under the Post-9/11 GI Bill and then submitting fraudulent attendance records. From 2011 to 2015, the VA paid AST $2.35 million in tuition and $1.96 million in education benefits for non-attending veterans.
Acting United States Attorney Sandra R. Brown emphasized the importance of protecting veterans’ benefits: ‘Fraud schemes involving schooling for veterans compromise systems designed to help them after service, and taxpayers suffer from waste and abuse.’
Lisa Molinar, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge at the VA OIG, highlighted the agency’s commitment to pursuing such fraudulent activities. Waggoner is set to be arraigned today in U.S. District Court.
Related Federal Cases
- Bolden Sentenced for $7.2M School Computer Fraud · Washington
- Crypto Dreams & COVID Cash: Rideshare Driver Accused of $2M Scam · California
- Artful Dodge: Medicare Fraud Case Closed · Pennsylvania
- Tax Fixer Gets 18 Months for $1.2M Fraud Scheme · Alaska
- McKenzie Earley’s $10M Fraud Conviction · California
Key Facts
- State: California
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes|Public Corruption
- Source: Official Source ↗
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