Bangor, Maine: United States Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced that Lisa-Marie Watson, 25, of Athens, Maine pled guilty today in U.S. District Court to conspiring to defraud the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA").
According to court records, the defendant conspired with her father-in-law to illegally obtain VA compensation benefits. Watson and her father-in-law submitted documents to the VA falsely claiming she had suffered from mental disabilities that were connected to her service in the U.S. Army. Watson also falsely described her mental condition to VA doctors. On Nov. 18, 2016, the defendant’s father-in-law, David Watson, pled guilty to engaging in a conspiracy to defraud the VA and awaits sentencing.
The defendant faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She will be sentenced after completion of a presentence report by the U.S. Probation Office.
The investigation was conducted by the Criminal Investigation Division of the VA Office of the Inspector General.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
