A Lee’s Summit, Missouri man pleaded guilty in federal court on July 11 to stealing more than $340,000 by continuing to collect his grandmother’s veteran survivor benefits following her death almost 30 years ago.
According to a Department of Justice release, Jeffrey L. Tyler, 67, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to a federal information that charges him with one count of theft of government property.
Tyler admitted that he spent $340,934 in veteran survivor benefits from his grandmother’s bank account on his own personal expenses. Tyler’s grandmother received veteran survivor benefits based on her husband’s military service. She died on Nov. 26, 1993, but the benefits continued to be deposited into her bank account. The account received $1,110 per month, a total of $13,320 per year.
Tyler was also on his grandmother’s bank account. Bank records show the money was spent on personal expenses for Tyler, including hundreds of signed checks by Tyler for such items as water and electric bills, according to the release.
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The total amount of benefits converted by Tyler was approximately $338,316. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Tyler must pay $340,934 in restitution to the government.
Under federal statutes, Tyler is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.
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