Salesman To Jefferson Barracks VA Admits $644,000 Fraud Scheme
The Department of Veterans Affairs successfully investigated the case of Vincent DeBlasi, a 72-year-old Missouri man who submitted $644,000 in fraudulent invoices to the Jefferson Barracks VA, between 2012 to 2017.
DeBlasi pled guilty in district court. The criminal salesman faces up to 5 years in prison or a fine of up to $250,000 or both. One requirement of the crime is also restitution to the victim. Jefferson Barracks VA (aka Jefferson Barracks Division) is part of the VA St. Louis Health Care System.
DeBlasi, while working for Applied Maintenance Supplies and Solutions as a salesman, submitted a mountain of fraudulent invoices to Jefferson Barracks. The fraudulent sales were for tools and various other commercial and industrial products.
Special Agent in Charge Gregg Hirstein of the VA Office of Inspector General said, “We aggressively investigate cases of individuals or companies who defraud the VA by taking money from the programs and operations meant for our nation’s veterans. We hope this case prompts others aware of fraud against the VA to contact the VA OIG Hotline.”
According to LinkedIn, Applied Maintenance Supplies and Solutions appears to be a company owned by Cleveland, Ohio based Applied Industrial Technologies (NYSE: AIT). For those familiar with the industry:
Applied Industrial Technologies, Inc. engages in the manufacture and distribution of industrial parts and products. It operates through the Service Center Based Distribution and Fluid Power Business segments. The Service Center-Based Distribution segment provides customers with a wide range of industrial products through a network of service centers. The Fluid Power Businesses segment consists of specialized regional companies that distribute fluid power components and operate shops to assemble fluid power systems and perform equipment repair. The company was founded by Joseph Bruening in January 1923 and is headquartered in Cleveland, OH.
Who Else Knew?
How did VA not know it was paying hundreds of thousands in fraudulent invoices without receiving the inventory promised in the invoice? Is it just me, or does there seem to be more to the story VA OIG or Department of Justice is not telling us?
Someone else within the agency or the company must have known something fishy was going on when billing was up over $100,000 each year on average without a related change in inventory receipts or disbursements.
Source: https://www.mymoinfo.com/2018/06/01/jefferson-county-man-pleads-guilty-to-federal-charges/
If the va paid as much attention to vendor billing as they pay to va benefits denial there would never be a case of billing fraud.
Just sayin
Breaking armed Veterans take over Water Tower in Arizona over failure of law enforcement to investigate a child trafficking sex camp. The Camp was discovered by a Veterans group. They discovered what they believe was a child sex trafficking den on land owned by a building materials company tied to the Clinton Global Initiative and a Rothschild firm.
See: “Child-Trafficking Camp – CEMEX near Santa Cruz River Outside Tucson, Arizona”
At: “https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRQxLWXJUWk”
Veterans advocacy group Veterans on Patrol was searching for homeless vets in Tucson, Arizona when it stumbled upon the hidden camp believed to be a child trafficking den. The group believes there are bodies buried near the site and have collected evidence from the site.
Coffee hurts when it comes out my nose…just sayin’.
To better understand the scam that Vincent DeBlasi was running the VA. I checked a recent contract between Applied Maintenance Supplies and Solutions, (AMSS), and the State of New York’s Erie County. In the agreement AMSS supplies the bids and restocking of hardware fasteners such as nuts, washers, bolts and drill bits. Also plumbing supplies like fittings.
Item number 6 in the agreement between the county and AMSS states; “Locations shall be serviced weekly by a company representative. The representative will be required to put away stock, sort stock when needed, complete an inventory and place a restocking order if needed.
So not only does the AMSS representative do the ordering they also do the receiving and inventory of the stock. The company then bills for stocking and the customer just pays the bill on a trust basis that the company is maintaining the correct inventory.
Given, Mr. BeBlasi order the $644,000 improperly over a 5-year period. You would think that he was hauling away nuts and bolts in a dump truck or the nuts and bolts must have been made of Gold.
After checking the companies pricing included with the contract I found that while a lot of nuts and bolts were only priced about two to three times the price anyone would pay in a hardware store. Some of the nuts and bolts went into the extreme and were at least 10 time the price.
Oh, and speaking of things made out of Gold. Here’s one, the company sells a standard heat treated ½” drill bit with a Gold colored surface for $33.63. At a hardware store you might get charged $3.00 for such a bit but that is mostly for the packaging and you can find them for between $1 and $2 most places. Personally, I would spend the $10 dollars and get a set of 13 Gold Oxide bits from a name brand set.
The company seems to only have government contracts and I can see why with their prices and policies. No company is going to set up a contract like this where they are so over charged and exposed to theft. Else that company will not be in business very long.
No doubt Mr. BeBlasi was taking the supplies received on the bogus orders and reselling them elsewhere or the company he worked for was in on the scam.
A link to the Erie County contract is at: “https://www2.erie.gov/purchasing/sites/www2.erie.gov.purchasing/files/uploads/contracts/216050-002%20memo3.pdf”
I imagine that if somebody had checked this sooner it would have resulted in a nice little Qui-Tam award. Makes me wonder if a random govcon audit is in order and resulting suits filed…
Seymore,
Overpricing for “products” the government sector pays for has been going on since – who knows when!
“Easyriders” magazine used to have, back in the day, a page one on “items” purchased by our “out of control government agencies”! This is partly the reason why our Republic is almost at the brink of bankruptcy!
I’ll guarantee you that “elderly scumbag” ain’t the only person involved in this scam against the taxpayers!
Antifa……AFGE, not that much separation between groups!!! LOL
FUCK VA, FUCK AFGE
Hey, Dennis,
In case you missed it! And, Since it’s in your neck of the woods!
From: “The Horn News”
Titled;
“Alt-left radicals attack prayer group in Portland”
Dated: JUNE 4, 2018
“A radical left-leaning group that goes by the name “Antifa,” short for anti-fascist, stormed a Patriot Prayer rally on Sunday in Portland. The mob was seen throwing punches, rocks, and bottles during the bloody confrontation.”
“The pro-President Donald Trump group, Patriot Prayer, organized the event called “Tiny’s Freedom March,” to honor a member — but the rally drew unwanted alt-left radicals.”
“One year ago, both groups clashed in the same area area. The violence resulted in 14 arrests.”
“Protesters from the Antifa group showed up to the rally wielding knives and pepper spray. They wore black and covered their faces. Some of the protesters reportedly were demonstrating against cops with a sign that read “F*** the police.”
“Patriot Prayer organized their going away event for member Tusitala John Toesa — who is close with leader Joey Gibson — to take place at 5 p.m.”
“The Antifa group scheduled a counter-protest for 4 p.m. “To show Patriot Prayer, just as we showed them last year, that their violence and hatred has no place in Portland.”
“Officers have observed participants at today’s events at Terry Schrunk Plaza and Chapman and Lownsdale Square participate in assaultive behavior,” Portland police tweeted within minutes of the Antifa rally’s start.”
“According to witnesses, Patriot Prayer member tried to drown out Antifa by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.”
“Fox News reports, “The dueling rallies in Terry Schrunk Plaza, a swath of federal land in downtown Portland, escalated with shoving, punches thrown and at least one fire set on the Antifa side. Portland police sought to break up fights and separate the groups.”
“Officers attempted to use pepper spray on the demonstrators as they threw fireworks, bottles, rocks and ball bearings at each other.”
“The intent of our presence today was to provide a safe environment for all participants, non-participants, and community members while ensuring the peaceful exercise of the First Amendment,” said Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw.”
“The Police Bureau attempted to communicate directly with group organizers through the use of social media, a loud-hailer, and person-to-person communication in an effort to encourage an environment in which Portland community members could safely practice their right to free speech and assembly.”
“Officers reported that weapons such as knives and fireworks were confiscated.”
“Two men were charged with second-degree disorderly conduct according to KOIN-TV. One man was given a federal citation for failure to comply with lawful order, and another was arrested for refusal to give police their name.”
“Many people had to be treated for minor injuries, but no one was in need of hospitalization.”
“[…We aggressively investigate cases of individuals or companies who defraud the VA by taking money from the programs and operations meant for our nation’s veterans…]”
**Allow me to correct that to what is really implied**…
“[…We aggressively investigate cases of individuals or companies who defraud the VA by taking money from the programs and operations meant for the AFGE Engorged Purple Teams…]”
DONE!!!!!
lol.its bad over my VA when it comes to sales.lol. the salesmen are having coupons in the veteran news paper at the hospital for specific therapy plans that u are entitled to receive through the VA.HOW IN THE FUCK DO U GIVE SOME ONE A COUPON FOR 2 for 1 WHEN THERE SERVICE CONNECTED AND DON’T HAVE TO PAY FOR THAT PARTICULAR THERAPY. wtf are u going to sale me that the government has not parlayed me from a 9 to 1 chances of surviving the Americans greedy bureaucracy that tells me that am not entitled and have to take the 2 for 1 go fuck yourself special ..
i see donation stands at my grocery store that tell me donate to a vet and haven’t seen a fucking damn donation box or a coupon from them assholes especially from the DAV.
mean while old timmey vet kenny one hand crusty mouth is pushing carts since 4:00am for the grocery store scaring the shit out of sales from customers as usual. kenny got sold the deal because the c&P examiner needed a fucking pay raise that day from hoarding the VA cash cow to fuck her husband out of an affair because her resentful med school got screwed over by the bureaucratic union salesman she was fucking to fuck over other veterans to begin with.now this doctor calls in a 2 for 1 special in the newspaper is fucking beyond me!!!!..yet kenny is foaming at the mouth wondering why he had to pay for the 2 for 1 reading this mess on the site wondering who selling who on criminal charges in such a corruption of the VA. you send every salemen at the VA to jail . are u kidding me?haha
Have the SOB pay every penny back and then sentence him to 20 years for fraud, and then pull his license to sell to the VA then after that hire him to run the VA, seems everyone has their mitts in the cookie jar
“We aggressively investigate cases of individuals or companies who defraud the VA by taking money from the programs and operations meant for our nation’s veterans.”
That’s gotta be the funniest thing I’ve heard all day and it’s only 3AM!!!!!
It’s a little after 6 am, and I gotta chuckle out of it!
It’s a little after 7 am, and I also gotta chuckle out of it and it prompted me to make another deposit in the VA’s Tele-Suggestion box located in my bathroom….flush!
What I find as “not so funny” is how they investigated this complicated scheme, in less than half the time it is taking for them to decide a simple claim appeal.
Fuck you BVA….
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Stick your spam up your ass bitch, this site is for disabled Veterans.