NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — A North Little Rock man was sentenced to four months in federal prison with three years of supervised release on Thursday for submitting a falsified disability application to the Veteran's Administration (VA), resulting in more than $91,000 in disability payments.
"This defendant was held accountable for falsely claiming to be disabled in order to steal taxpayer dollars from a program meant to benefit deserving service-disabled veterans," said Special Agent Kris Raper with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General's South Central Field Office. "The VA OIG is dedicated to ensuring the integrity of VA's benefits programs and services."
Darold Maxfield, 30, filed for disability benefits from the VA in October 2018, alleging psychological trauma after finding a dead cadet while at the West Point Military Academy.
Maxfield's application was approved, and he started receiving $1,567 monthly.
In May 2020, the VA discovered that the physician's signature on Maxfield's application was cut and pasted from another application, which launched an investigation.
Officials verified that a cadet died during a field training exercise three days after Maxfield enrolled at the United States Military Academy Prep School. However, agents found no evidence that he was in the area where the remains were located.
The two cadets who found the remains said they were the only two present.
Maxfield was charged in an indictment on June 1, 2021, with theft of public money and making a false statement or representation to a department or agency of the United States.
The North Little Rock man pled guilty on January 19, 2023. Maxfield was also ordered to pay $91,651.70 in restitution along with the sentencing.