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Virginia man pleads guilty to $2.9M scheme involving veteran training, jobs

Crystal Graham
veteran military computer laptop
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An Alexandria man pleaded guilty today to his role in a $2.9 million scheme where fake documents were submitted on behalf of veterans to secure funding from the government.

Jeffrey Williams, 27, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

According to court documents, after online training was completed by veterans, Williams created fake employment offer letters, falsified certifications and forged veteran signatures to receive payments from the government.

The false records were created starting in July 2022 and were used to defraud the Department of Veteran Affairs for approximately two years.

Williams was a career services manager at an educational institution offering veterans educational programs online that could be paid for by the VA. As a condition of the tuition payments from the government, the veterans had to attain meaningful employment after the training was completed.

Hundreds of false documents were submitted to the VA claiming approximately $2.9 million in fraudulent tuition payments for at least 189 veterans.

A federal district court judge will determine his sentence, according to the Department of Justice.

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show on PBS. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.