FBI Cincinnati Division #News Release:

Gahanna Woman Charged with Illegally Receiving VA Benefits

U.S. Attorney’s OfficeSeptember 04, 2015

Southern District of Ohio(937) 225-2910

COLUMBUS, OH—A federal grand jury has charged Rita Green, 55, of Gahanna, Ohio, with illegally receiving Department of Veterans Affairs Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits in an indictment returned in Columbus, Ohio.

Carter M. Stewart, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, Gavin McClaren, Resident Agent in Charge, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), and Angela L. Byers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Field Division, announced the indictment returned yesterday.

The indictment alleges that Green kept $89,646.22 of Department of Veterans Affairs Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits to which she knew she was not entitled. Green’s mother was a recipient of the benefits, which are paid to surviving spouses of veterans who died in the line of duty or died from a disease or injury incurred or aggravated while on active duty. Those benefits were paid monthly to a bank account in the mother’s name.

It is alleged that after Green’s mother died in 2009, Green continued to withdraw the benefits from the bank account of her mother and use the money via a debit card in her mother’s name.

Theft of public money is a crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

U.S. Attorney Stewart commended the investigation of this case by the VA-OIG and the FBI’s Public Corruption Task Force, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Glenn-Applegate, who is prosecuting the case.

An indictment merely contains allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

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#FBI #PressRelease #Theft of public money  #Ohio 

USDA and the HACU National Internship Program: A Recipe for Success

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USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Keven Valentin, AMS Commodity Procurement Financial Analyst, on August 23, 2013 at 10:45 AM

AMS Commodity Procurement Financial Analyst Keven Valentin, a former HACU intern at work. Valentin was an intern with AMS for two years through the HACU National Internship Program. Photo Courtesy of Hakim Fobia, AMS Public Affairs

Reach one, teach one. That is the approach that USDA has taken in its partnership with the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) National Internship Program. As a current employee with the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and a former HACU intern, I am glad to help continue this tradition.

The HACU National Internship Program helps talented students in more than 400 colleges and universities gain valuable experience through paid internships at federal, private, and non-profit organizations. USDA has been a leading organization working with the program, hosting nearly 1900 HACU student interns since 1994. I am part of the nearly 46% of former HACU interns who earned the opportunity to stay on board with the federal government after finishing my degree.

I accepted the opportunity to continue my career at the USDA after two eventful summers interning with the AMS Commodity Procurement Program. During my tenure as an intern, I applied what I learned in my education and work experience. My time was spent helping develop and implement a new budget tracking system, overlooking a $2.6 million budget, developing budget procedures, and providing support to the daily branch operations. I also got a chance to help develop and implement a new invoicing process using the new Web Based Supply Chain Management System (WBSCM). The WBSCM is now used by AMS to make purchases for the National School Lunch Program and other federal nutrition assistance programs.

As I look back on my experience as a HACU intern working at AMS, I really appreciate the way the program works with USDA and other organizations. After applying for the program through my school, the University of Puerto Rico at Aguadilla Campus, HACU placed me in an organization and position that matched my educational background. Working with the Commodity Procurement staff turned out to be a great fit for me.

AMS Administrator Anne Alonzo with students at the 2013 HACU National Internship Program summer farewell event. Photo courtesy of Karen Comfort, AMS Special Assistant to the Administrator

Looking to the future, I am confident that other HACU interns will have similar experiences at USDA and other partner organizations. I recently had the pleasure of attending the 2013 HACU National Internship Program summer farewell event where AMS Administrator Anne Alonzo inspired all. She gave the keynote address alongside Principal Deputy Under Secretary for the Department of Veterans Affairs Robert L. Jesse. It was great to hear Administrator Alonzo encourage the interns to be fearless as they carve out their career paths. She also stressed that they can achieve anything when they are passionate about the fields they choose.

I am glad to hear that my office will be welcoming two talented HACU interns this fall. I am excited to be able to share with them my positive experiences and encourage them to tell others about the program’s success with AMS and other USDA agencies. I know that the internship will place them on track for long, fruitful careers and that they will help others follow in their footsteps.