BOSTON – A Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) employee
pleaded guilty today to embezzling nearly $70,000 in VA funds.
Michael Donaher, 41, of Lakeville, pleaded guilty before
U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to one count of embezzlement and theft
of public money, property or records. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 10,
2020. He has agreed, as part of a plea agreement, to reimburse the government
for the funds he stole. Donaher was arrested in January on a criminal
complaint.
Donaher worked as an Inventory Management Specialist for the
Veterans Affairs Medical Facility in Brockton and was responsible for
purchasing various equipment necessary for use in the facility. Donaher
conducted fraudulent transactions using his government-issued purchase cards
and routed the proceeds to his personal bank account. Donaher attempted to
conceal these fraudulent purchases by making it appear as if the purchases were
made through a large company that the VA frequently used for legitimate
business, when, in fact, they were actually made through a company Donaher
created through Square, Inc., a mobile payment company. These purchases were
not for actual items ever received by the VA. Furthermore, Donaher attempted to
hide this fact by annotating the items as having been received within the VA’s
accountability system. Donaher fraudulently routed approximately $70,000 of VA
funds to his personal account since the scheme began in 2016.
The charging statute provides a sentence of up to 10 years
in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S.
Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Christopher
Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veteran Affairs, Office
of the Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugenia M. Carris of Lelling’s Public Corruption &
Special Prosecutions Unit is prosecuting the case.
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