At least 15 residents of South Florida have been arrested on fraud and corruption charges for a scheme at Veterans Affairs hospitals in Miami and West Palm Beach.
Among those arrested were Clinton Purvis, 52, Christopher Young, 44, Kenneth Scott, 59, and Robert Johnson, 62. The U.S. District attorney said that employees of the VA logistics department responsible for purchases were part of an elaborate kickback scheme that defrauded the VA on a large scale. “It’s a very sad day in our country. These people have a duty to their job and their post,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Ariana Fajardo Orshan. “I am sad to report there are a few bad apples that have been arrested.”
Orshan detailed the corruption scheme that involved the VA employees and vendors falsifying orders and purchases to use funding from the department to enrich themselves rather than complete purchases. She also said that the corruption dated back to at least 2009. “It went on for a substantial period of time,” she said.
The fraud and corruption are estimated to have cost the VA millions of dollars in unfulfilled orders and inflated pricing. In one circumstance, files were charged against Lisa Anderson, 48, for making false statements trying to designate a vendor company as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business. All 15 arrested individuals face up to 50 years in prison if arrested.
“Today’s announcement serves as a reminder that the federal government is committed to combating fraud, waste, and abuse of the system,” Orshan said.
