An indictment was filed charging Mickael C. Jones, age 36, of Bowling Green, Ohio, with taking approximately $14,000 from the Department of Veterans Affairs, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Mickael Jones’ aunt died in May 2009. She had been receiving monthly VA surviving-spouse pension benefits. Not knowing of her death, the VA continued to make monthly direct deposits into her bank account, and Jones withdrew the money for his for his own use, according to the indictment.
From May 2009 to December 2010, Jones converted to his own approximately $14,000 of VA benefits, to which he was not entitled, according to the indictment.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to each case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum and in most cases it will be less than the maximum.
The investigating agency in this case is the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. The case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas A. Karol.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
