A man from Forest City Township, Maine, was arrested in La Plata, Missouri on August 21 after being charged with making false statements to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). According to court records, Gregory P. Heimann Jr., 51, was indicted in October 2024 for allegedly telling the VA in May 2023 that he had been wheelchair bound since 2004 and could not walk or stand.
Prior to his indictment, Heimann faced a federal criminal complaint for the same offense. An arrest warrant was issued in April 2024. Court documents state that an affidavit supporting the complaint included evidence of Heimann walking and standing without mobility devices on several occasions in Maine.
The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Maine Violent Offender Task Force led an investigation into Heimann’s location. He was taken into custody by USMS investigators from the Eastern District of Missouri. The VA Office of Inspector General and the Maine Warden Service provided assistance during the investigation.
Heimann appeared before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on August 22 and was ordered to remain in USMS custody pending a future court appearance in Maine.
"An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law."
