Kansas Veteran Sentenced for Defrauding the VA

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Kansas:

KANSAS CITY, KAN.– A Kansas man was sentenced today to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay more than $537,000 in restitution for defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) out of disability benefits.

In August 2022, a federal jury convicted Bruce Hay, 54, of Greeley, a U.S. Army veteran, of six counts of wire fraud and 10 counts of theft of government funds. Hay misrepresented and exaggerated the extent of symptoms related to a purported conversion disorder diagnosis to receive more than $500,000 in VA disability benefits to which he was not entitled.

“Misrepresenting symptoms to the VA to fraudulently obtain benefits takes resources from deserving veterans and will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to vigorously investigate those who would steal from VA benefits programs and taxpayers.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of the Inspector General and the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan J. Huschka and D. Christopher Oakley prosecuted the case.