ALBUQUERQUE - Tomas Jaramillo, 55, of Albuquerque, N.M., pleaded guilty today in federal court to submitting false and fraudulent claims to the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Albuquerque. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Jaramillo will be sentenced to five years of probation and will be ordered to pay $11,439.90 in restitution to the VAMC as the victim of his crimes.
Jaramillo was charged by information on Aug. 18, 2015, with submitting fraudulent vouchers to collect payments for roundtrip travel to attend medical appointment. He was subsequently charged by indictment on Sept. 22, 2015, with submitting 173 fraudulent claims to the VAMC for travel beneficiary payments from June 2009 through July 2010.
During today’s change of plea hearing, Jaramillo admitted that from June 2009 through July 2010, he travelled to the VAMC in Bernalillo County, N.M., to obtain medical treatment and falsely claimed that he traveled from Socorro, N.M., to do so. Jaramillo admitted that he submitted fraudulent vouchers to VAMC to receive payment for roundtrip travel which he did not actually make to attend his medical appointments. Jaramillo acknowledged receiving $11,439.90 in travel reimbursements to which he was not entitled.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigation Division and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
