PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A Rhode Island girl who authorities say pretended to be a adorned Marine Corps veteran with most cancers to fraudulently gather about $250,000 in veterans advantages and charitable contributions has agreed to plead responsible, federal prosecutors mentioned Tuesday.
Sarah Jane Cavanaugh, 31, of East Greenwich, signed an settlement in U.S. District Court docket in Windfall below which she’s going to admit to wire fraud, aggravated id theft, forgery, and fraudulent use of medals, U.S. Lawyer Zachary Cunha mentioned in a press release.
She has additionally agreed to pay greater than $82,000 in restitution. She faces greater than 20 years in jail, however prosecutors have agreed to advocate a sentence on the low finish of sentencing tips, in response to court docket paperwork.
Cavanaugh’s legal professional, Kensley Barrett, mentioned Tuesday that whereas he appreciates the curiosity that the case has garnered, he has no remark presently.
There isn’t a file of Cavanaugh ever serving within the U.S. navy, in response to authorities. Nonetheless, she did work as a licensed social employee for the Veterans Affairs Medical Heart in Windfall.
By her job, she gained entry to paperwork, private data and medical information belonging to an actual veteran with most cancers, which she used to create fraudulent paperwork and medical information in her identify that mentioned she had been honorably discharged and had most cancers, prosecutors mentioned.
She additionally bought replicas of a Purple Coronary heart and a Bronze Star that she placed on a Marine uniform she wore at public occasions, in response to prosecutors.
Cavanaugh, who additionally served as commander of the North Kingstown VFW publish, requested monetary help and falsely claimed that she was being handled for lung most cancers from publicity to burn pits in Iran and Afghanistan and inhaling particulate matter from a bomb explosion, Cunha mentioned.
She collected $207,000 from the Wounded Warrior program to pay for groceries and bodily remedy, collected about $18,500 in monetary help from “Code of Assist” in Virginia for mortgage funds, repairs to her house furnace, a gymnasium membership and different payments, and $4,700 from a fundraising web site, prosecutors mentioned.
She additionally collected $16,000 from one other charity that gives remedy for veterans via artwork packages, CreatiVets, in response to court docket paperwork.
An investigation was launched after the Windfall nonprofit HunterSeven contacted the Windfall VA as a result of they have been suspicious of Cavanaugh when she requested help from them. The group helps veterans with most cancers.
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