Monday, November 22, 2021

Jury Convicts Two Defendants For Stealing Veterans And Social Security Benefits: Three Others Plead Guilty


After an eight-day trial at the Federal Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, and after three days of deliberation, a jury found Omar Shaquille Bailey and Ronaldo Garfield Green guilty of their roles in a plan to impeach the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security. to cheat. Administration of more than $1.8 million. Senior District Court Judge James I. Cohn read the jury’s verdict and ordered the defendants incarcerated pending sentencing in January.

A third co-defendant, Jamare Mason, pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy on the second day of the trial. Two other co-defendants, Kadeem Gordon and Mario Ricketts, pleaded guilty before the trial. Two other co-defendants have yet to be arrested.

The jury heard testimony from several witnesses that members of the conspiracy obtained the personal information (including names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers) of disabled veterans and Social Security beneficiaries. The conspirators used this information to fraudulently open bank accounts and prepaid debit cards in the victims’ names. She also forged documents in the name of the victims that instructed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration to deposit benefits into those fraudulent accounts, rather than into the victims’ legitimate bank accounts.

The trial evidence showed that the defendants, along with other co-conspirators, withdrew these funds for their own personal use from ATMs and banks in South Florida and Georgia. Much of the money was eventually funneled to the architects of the plan in Jamaica.

Over the course of five years, from 2012 to 2017, according to evidence presented at trial, members of the conspiracy attempted to divert more than $1.8 million in benefits from more than a hundred disabled veterans and social welfare beneficiaries. security. Although several of these attempts were blocked, the defendants’ settlement resulted in the actual loss of nearly $1 million, money diverted from disabled veterans and Social Security beneficiaries. In any event, the federal government reimbursed these victims the full amount of their stolen benefits.

“We remain vigilant in our efforts to defend and protect our disabled veterans and our elderly,” said US Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Juan Antonio Gonzalez. “This successful prosecution demonstrates that, despite recent challenges, our Office continues to prosecute anyone targeting vulnerable members of the community.”

“Yesterday, a jury held these defendants accountable for their roles in a massive, transnational fraud scheme that preyed on veterans — many of whom were elderly and at risk — by diverting VA compensation and retirement benefits to other bank accounts or veterans’ bank accounts,” said Special Representative David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General’s South East Field Office. “The VA OIG, along with our law enforcement partners, is steadfast in our commitment to ensuring veterans are protected from schemes designed to steal the benefits they have earned while defending our country.”

“The jury’s verdict holds Omar Bailey and Ronaldo Green accountable for their greedy and unscrupulous actions that deprived Social Security beneficiaries and disabled veterans of their benefits,” said Rodregas W. Owens, special agent responsible for the Inspector’s Social Security Administration Office. General, Field Division Atlanta. “I appreciate the investigative efforts of the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Task Force and our law enforcement partners in dismantling this conspiracy and the US Attorney’s Office prosecuting this case.”

U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Juan Antonio Gonzalez, Special Agent David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General’s Southeast Field, and Special Agent Rodregas W. Owens, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General , made the announcement.

U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez praised the investigative efforts of the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, including our partners at the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of the Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations and the Office of the Social Security Administration of the Inspector General the Inspector General.

The case was pursued by US Assistant Attorneys Lois Foster-Steers and Sajjad Matin.

Combating elder abuse and financial fraud targeting seniors is a top priority of the Department of Justice. The mission of the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial fraud and scams targeting our nation’s seniors. For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice. The public is encouraged to report their victimization and suspected fraud. To find the right reporting agency, visit https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/roadmap or call the Victim Connection Hotline at 1-855-484-2846.

Criminal complaints, information and charges are allegations only and defendants are innocent unless and until found guilty in a court of law.

Related court documents and information can be found on the District Court for the Southern District of Florida website at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-cr-60313 .


US Attorney’s Office – District Court for the Southern District of Florida

 
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