BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK - A jury voted on Friday to convict Kevin Green, age 57, of Brooklyn, New York, of theft of government property and misappropriation by a fiduciary, following a 5-day trial.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Special Agent in Charge Sean Smith of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), Northeast Field Office.
The evidence at trial established that Green received approximately $71,000 in disability compensation benefits from the VA as fiduciary for a disabled 73-year old Army veteran, between March 2011 and May 2013. Green was required to spend that money solely for the benefit of the veteran. The veteran had lived in a cottage on Green’s property in Kerhonkson, New York, but moved into a Vermont veterans’ home in April 2012. All of the veteran’s expenses at the veterans’ home were paid for by the VA, but Green continued to collect the veteran’s disability compensation benefits. When asked for an accounting, Green misrepresented how he had spent the benefits. The evidence demonstrated that he had spent tens of thousands of dollars on himself.
Green faces up to 10 years in prison, and up to 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release, when he is sentenced by Senior United States Judge Thomas J. McAvoy. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by VA-OIG and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cyrus P.W. Rieck.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
