Former Employee In VA Fiduciary Stole $680,000 From Elderly Veteran
Former employee in VA Fiduciary Kenneth Devore was convicted Monday for many frauds including stealing $680,000 from an elderly veteran.
Devore, also known as Kenneth Waters, was found guilty by a jury on all counts of fraud against him including wire fraud, theft of public money, mail fraud, financial conflict of interest, and making false statements. He was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison.
Most shocking was Devore’s fraud of an elderly veteran. At VA, Devore apparently worked as a field examiner likely within VA Fiduciary. This is an intense position of trust where VA revokes a veteran’s due process right to property based on a conclusion the veteran lacks fiscal competency.
In his capacity as an examiner, Devore falsified will and testament documents and inserted the veteran’s initials into a will. He then mailed it to the bank serving as the veteran’s fiduciary. Once caught, VA forced him to resign.
Secondary to that was a fraud charge related to disability benefits. Devore enjoyed a 100 percent Permanent and Total disability rating. He allegedly lied about his disabilities stating he was unable to work while he was actually working and even earning “outstanding performance” ratings while at AllState in 2010.
I am glad the feds busted this criminal.
False Prosecutions Targeting Veterans
But let’s talk a minute about the allegations against him related to his disability compensation benefits. While there is no doubt Devore is a criminal, his case is one of the first in a few we will be seeing come through as VA digs into veterans records using new software and algorithms to detect fraud.
Many of these claims come down to problems related to the process of adjudicating benefits claims and inaccurate diagnosis of conditions. I only say this to highlight that some fraud allegations against veterans are historically proven to be wrong.
However, during the previous Republican presidency, many veterans were prosecuted incorrectly for alleged fraud while the real issue was VA failed to appropriately adjudicate the claim of misdiagnosed the veteran.
Be on the lookout for errors. If you are ever confronted about allegations against you, be sure to speak with both a criminal attorney AND a veterans benefits attorney. When it comes to benefits cases, many criminal attorneys will get lost in the weeds, so be sure you get the help you need in the event you are wrongly prosecuted, as many veterans before you have experienced.
“Once caught, VA forced him to resign.” You’d think the VA would have at LEAST fired him. (What DOES it take to get fired?) Another case of “You can resign, for some of the most devious, unethical, illegal CRIME a Federal employee could ever do financially to Veterans.” I’ll be waiting for the article when some newspaper finds out that when he was released, he began collecting his Cadillac VA employee pension because he was allowed to resign, I mean they cover up for their fellow employees, so this would not be surprising at all….
Veterans are long overdue for some real leadership from the Veterans Administration:
Leadership that speaks truth publicly about how bad things have really gotten for the veterans they are supposed to be serving.
Leadership that develops practical solutions to take better care of all our nations warriors.
Leadership that recognizes that when they are doing a good job, veterans will be singing their praises rather than the VA spending millions of taxpayer dollars on Public Relation Agencies to put out ‘fluff pieces’ to mislead American citizens about the stellar job they are doing to care for our nations veterans.
The truth is that the VA is doing a far below sub-standard job.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has one of the largest budgets within our federal government. This is used to provide veterans less than third-world medical care and benefits. It is about twenty years past time to seriously address the corruption, malfeasance, and incompetence that infest the Veterans Administration.
Here is a plan to accomplish that goal:
1. Immediately recognize the problems inherent in the Veterans Administration are system-wide, not just limited to a few discrete locations.
2. Fire all the incompetent and corrupt Workers. Fire every single AFGE/SES employee. The VA prides itself on service to the veteran. However, the American Federation of Government Employees Union makes it nearly impossible to rid the VA of corrupt, incompetent employees.
3. Sell off all the VA facilities. Alternatively, they may be converted into military barracks-style housing for homeless veterans. These will be run with military-style rules to promote good order and discipline.
4. Issue all veterans a card that allows them to choose their own doctors within their community that they can trust.
5. The United States Government will pay those doctors promptly (Within 45 days) for the care they provide veterans.
6. Eliminate the ‘Federal Protection’ clause in the United States Code for incompetent medical personnel that the VA sends to other states where they are not licensed to practice. Going to practice medicine in a state? You need to be properly medically licensed in that state.
7. Rapidly reduce the years long backlog of Veterans Disability Claims. Any claim a veteran submits to the Veterans Benefit Administration that requires more than 90 days to adjudicate, is automatically found to be in favor of the veteran.
Should a veteran file a false claim to defraud the system, the Veterans Administration will be required to prove in civil court that the claim was falsely submitted. For filing a false claim, the veteran will be mandatorily subject to all the following:
(A). The claim shall be denied. If the veteran has received any form of benefits due to filing of a false claim, they will be required to fully repay those benefits with interest.
(B). The veteran will be banned from all VA facilities for the remainder of their life.
(C). The veteran will lose any benefits they have and will not be allowed to file for further benefits.
8. All veterans shall be allowed to seek/retain the services of a Veterans Rights Attorney from their first initial contact with the VA. This will help to protect the legal rights of veterans against corrupt, incompetent VA employees.
9. No AFGE, or any other labor union business will be allowed to take place in any federal workplace. Conducting union business during working hours will be strictly prohibited and enforced. Should any government employee be found violating this provision, it will result in immediate lifetime dismissal from all federal, state, city and county government employment.
10. Attorneys for appeal for cases of ‘wrongful termination’ will be retained at the former VA employee’s personal expense. U. S. Taxpayer’s will not be subject to payment of legal bills for incompetent or dishonest personnel with regards to governmental employment.
It is my belief that were the above ten measures placed into rigorous ethical practice, these would over the next few years ensure major performance improvements within the Department of Veteran Affairs.
Jim “Clem” Clement
1973 – 1976 USMC
1978 – 1993 USN
Wounded Warrior
Maybe the California shooter Veteran today had all of his VA Benefits STOLEN FROM VA Fiduciary crooks? It could happen…fucking assholes!
…and unfortunately, the California shooter was a Marine Veteran….they are trying to cover it up in first/second news cycles….he needed better mental health treatment than the assholes at the VA could ever do….a fresh fuck you and fuck off to you today VA….because you NEVER EVER WILL *GET* PTSD…because you don’t fucking care!!!
Another dead Vet by police suicide along with 12+ others…fuck you VA…another fucking FAIL!!!!!!!!!
In a mood.
A misdiagnosis hangs on forever.
Goal of VA; choking the health and life out of the Veteran.
Only the very best world-class choking of life and limb from and for Veterans…all for the Vets….slap on the wrist for something that would get a lifetime of love from a cellmate named Bubba in REAL JUSTICE.
Kenneth Devore…many Bubbas have their names on your asshole you fucking asshole thief of Veterans!!!!!!!!!!!
Just “forced to resign?” Why not flat out fired? Cute wording since … we who are aware… are supposed to use words, the dictionaries, play-book rhetoric, logic, games that the criminals, activist, scammers, politicians, media, academia, the VA, nation busters or many others want us to use. Or demand we use. Cute trappings while we are funneled down the paths of deception. Like with PC-ness or legalese used by some to deceive their clients for personal gain.
“New software and algorithms to detect fraud.” Others may trust the hype I don’t. There are still humans and very corrupt humans behind the scenes, and in very high places, who will protect their own and haul up the sacrificial lambs for the grand facade of things so as to proclaim positivity or all is well and functioning as expected. Yippeee!!
Odd too is that he was into the insurance business and postal service. Wow, that could be a chapter of corruption and cover-ups on it’s own. Not to forget the nursing home and other scams allowed to continue or never making the news. Or highly difficult to report, expose, or get investigators in. Gotta keep all things reported as perfect, good, or palatable for the public’s consumption. Nothing to see here move along peasants and victims.
Also in ending. In some areas of the country there is no getting legal help, period. “Conflict of interests.” “Professional courtesy,” “our hands are tied,” etc. Yeah sounds good though. Lets not forget some out there are functioning under “immunity from any and all prosecution.” Those out there taking “orders from the top” who are or will be protected. Plenty of fraud, scamming, law breaking/bending out there but few seem to care or benefit from it or have family or connections they wish to preserve no change happens. While some of us out here draw flak from every quarter nationally and community wide to shut us up or claim we are the enemy not the true criminals to the buck passers and game players. All backed up by the total lack of interest or those in power positions not reaching out to some of us, but we are expected to waste years and communication games with all of them.
you are the best writer i’ve seen in a long time, T.
thank you for speaking truth.
this small time crook gets a slap on the wrist.
while the big time crooks get a pass.
and krause tells you to get legal help.
lol. he doesn’t seem to be aware of reality.
the whole thing is a racket.
most involved in the racket will not expose the racket itself.
only the minor workings.
to appease and distract the victims and peasants.
bless you T. thanks again.
Only 8 years? Should have received 20. Also many articles thru google and not 1
picture of the wonderful gentleman. O, we don’t want to impose any hardships upon him.