Alexandria, VA — A career services manager at a Virginia educational institution has pleaded guilty to defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of nearly $3 million through a years-long scheme involving falsified records and forged documents.
According to a press release issued Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Jeffrey Williams, 37, of Alexandria, admitted to orchestrating a complex fraud between July 2022 and May 2024 while employed at a school that provided cyber training programs for military veterans.
Prosecutors said Williams submitted hundreds of fake documents, including forged employment offer letters, fraudulent certifications, and veterans’ signatures, to make it appear as though former service members had secured gainful employment. The illusion of success helped the school fraudulently qualify for approximately $2.9 million in tuition reimbursements from the VA under its educational benefit programs.
In reality, many of the veterans listed had not secured the jobs claimed, and in some cases, their identities were used without their knowledge. Williams exploited loopholes in the VA’s payment system, which ties funding to the successful employment outcomes of veteran students.
The charges stem from an investigation led by the VA Office of Inspector General, with Trial Attorney Lauren Archer of the DOJ’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jordan Harvey of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuting the case.
Williams pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing will be determined at a later date by a U.S. District Court judge based on federal sentencing guidelines and other statutory considerations.
The DOJ has not yet disclosed whether the school itself or other individuals are under investigation in connection with the scheme.
This case marks one of the most significant frauds targeting veterans’ education benefits in recent years and raises concerns about oversight and accountability within institutions receiving federal funding for veteran services.
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