16 veterans from northeast Ohio indicted for allegedly inflating travel expenses, totaling $250K+

CLEVELAND - More than a dozen veterans from northeast Ohio have been indicted on charges they inflated mileage reimbursements.

The U.S. Attorneys Office in Cleveland said the cases are all separate and include 16 suspects with a total of more than $250,000.

Prosecutors said each person charged submitted false claims for travel reimbursement to the Veterans Affairs Office representing a greater distance of travel than he/she had actually traveled.

"Theft from the public coffers will not be tolerated, whether it is a contractor inflating construction costs or citizens submitting false mileage reimbursements," said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

Here is a list of the charges and how much their claims were allegedly inflated:

- Andre Baird, age 54, of Cleveland ($8,780.71)
- Mandell Calvin, age 55, of Cleveland ($3,459.49)
- Robert Daniels, age 54, of Warren ($30,144.67)
- Rebecca Dickson, age 51, of Lakewood ($6,712.82)
- Thurman Harris, age 59, of East Cleveland ($12,575.70)
- Steven Holt, age 54, of Oakwood Village ($11,925.34)
- Ivan Jackson, age 54, of Cleveland ($13,477.88)
- Timothy Knotts, age 54, of Akron ($9,326.53)
- Nathaniel Marshall, age 52, of Cleveland ($8,052.54)
- Amm Pearson, age 55, of Euclid ($8,257.37)
- Thomas Scott, age 49, of Roanoke, AL ($22,104.35)
- James Sharpe, age 62, of Sandusky ($19,210.58)
- Mark Sheline, age 54, of Lakewood ($15,708.65)
- Scott Sheline, age 56, of Lakewood ($36,979.40)
- Anthony Shumpert, age 54, of Akron ($17,134.51)
- Raymond Williams, age 54, of Lakewood ($17,455.57)

"This money should have been used for legitimate medical care for veterans, particularly our returning combat veterans," said Gavin McLaren, United States Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General, Resident Agent in Charge, Cleveland.

The U.S. Attorney's Office said the indictment also charges Rebecca Dickson, Thurman Harris, Steven Holt, Ivan Jackson, Nathaniel Marshall, Amm Pearson, Thomas Scott, James Sharpe, Anthony Shumpert, and Raymond Williams with making a false statement to the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.