U.S. Department Of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General South Central Field Office 4040 N. Central Expwy, Suite 500 Dallas, TX 75204-3158 (214) 253-3360
Monday, May 12, 2003
Former VA Nurse Receives 18 Months Imprisonment
John McDermott, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Inspector General (IG), announced today that in United States District Court, for the Southern District of Mississippi, which is located in Jackson, MS, Shirley Hines, a former Registered Nurse at the VA Medical Center in Jackson, MS, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment. Following her release from prison, Hines will have to serve three years probation. Hines was also ordered to pay $202,929 in restitution to the VA in connection with her theft of VA Dependency & Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits. McDermott stated that the Sentencing of Hines resulted from an investigation by his New Orleans, LA, Resident Office. The Investigation revealed that Hines fraudulently received VA DIC benefits for almost 30 years and failed to notify the VA of the changes in her marital status. Continued entitlement to VA benefits was contingent upon Hines’ marital status. Because Hines failed to notify the VA of her remarriage, she became disqualified for continued receipt of VA benefits. Assistant United States Attorney Harold Brittain, of Jackson, MS, prosecuted this case.