New Hampshire Woman Imprisoned for VA and Social Security Fraud

June 26, 2012

Lisa McFarland, 49 of Manchester, has been sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to eighteen months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for the theft of Veterans Affairs and Social Security benefits that belonged to her father, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas. In 2005, McFarland was appointed as the fiduciary for Veterans Affairs benefits being paid to her father, and was also appointed as the Representative Payee for his Social Security benefit payments. As the fiduciary and Representative Payee she had an obligation to safeguard his benefits and make sure they were properly used only for his benefit. However, after taking over her Father''s financial affairs, between March of 2005 and May of 2008, she stole $221,905 of her Father''s VA benefits, and between April 2005 and March 2009 stole $22,768 of her Father''s Social Security benefits. When she plead guilty she admitted that she knew the money was intended to be used exclusively for her father’s needs but that she converted it for her own use.

McFarland was ordered to begin her federal prison sentence on June 15, 2012. The case was investigated by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division and the United States Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold Huftalen.Lisa McFarland, 49 of Manchester, has been sentenced in United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire to eighteen months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for the theft of Veterans Affairs and Social Security benefits that belonged to her father, announced United States Attorney John P. Kacavas. In 2005, McFarland was appointed as the fiduciary for Veterans Affairs benefits being paid to her father, and was also appointed as the Representative Payee for his Social Security benefit payments. As the fiduciary and Representative Payee she had an obligation to safeguard his benefits and make sure they were properly used only for his benefit. However, after taking over her Father''s financial affairs, between March of 2005 and May of 2008, she stole $221,905 of her Father''s VA benefits, and between April 2005 and March 2009 stole $22,768 of her Father''s Social Security benefits. When she plead guilty she admitted that she knew the money was intended to be used exclusively for her father’s needs but that she converted it for her own use.