U.S. Department Of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Northeast Field Office 423 East 23rd Street, Building 2 New York, NY 10010-5011 (212) 951-6850
Thursday, February 18, 1999
Former VA Employee Pleads Guilty to Theft of Government Funds
Richard J. Griffin, Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), announced today that George C. Cox, a former VA ratings specialist, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court, Brooklyn, New York, to one count of theft of Government funds Griffin stated the plea is the result of an investigation conducted by his Northeast Field Office. The indictment alleged that Cox, who formerly worked as a ratings specialist at the VA Regional Office in New York, created a record of a fictitious veteran in August 1986, and awarded this fictitious veteran benefits for service connected disabilities. Cox allegedly had over $624,000 in monthly benefit checks deposited into a savings account he opened in the name of the fictitious veteran and every month, Cox would withdraw funds from the account. On August 10, 1998, Cox made a withdrawal from the bank in the fictitious veteran’s name. Cox was immediately arrested by special agents as he exited the bank. Cox was in possession of $10,000 and was wearing a set of green army fatigues over his clothes in order to disguise his appearance. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Currie, Eastern District of New York, is prosecuting this case.