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Man Indicted for Decades-long Fraud of Veteran’s Benefits, Identity Theft

February 26, 2024

From the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Washington

Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that a federal grand jury has indicted Raymond Kenneth Musgrove, formerly of Grant County, Washington, for fraud in connection with benefits provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The Indictment announced today charges Musgrove, formerly of Grant County, Washington, with false representation of a social security number, wire fraud, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft. The Indictment alleges that Raymond Kenneth Musgrove posed as J.M.C., a real person and military veteran, for several decades, collecting Veterans Affairs Compensation Payments and receiving healthcare at the VA in the name of J.M.C. According to the Indictment, Musgrove has purported to be J.M.C. since at least 1997, in the process collecting over $825,000 in federal funds from the VA to which he was not entitled. According to the Indictment, the VA terminated benefit payments several times after the real J.M.C. passed away in 2018, but each time Musgrove reached out to the VA purporting to be J.M.C. and requested that benefits should continue. The Indictment alleges that due to Musgrove’s misrepresentations, the VA continued to provide Veterans Affairs Compensation Payments in the name of J.M.C.

“Military Veterans have given selfless service to this country. Schemes to steal funds set aside to support them are an insult to their sacrifices,” said United States Attorney Waldref. “My office is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to ensure that federal government programs and missions are protected from fraudulent actions and will hold fraudsters accountable when they seek government funds in order to line their own pockets.”

The fraud charges carry sentences of up to 20 years in federal prison as well as restitution for fraudulently obtained funds. This case was investigated by SSA-OIG and VA-OIG.  This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frieda K. Zimmerman.

An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

Case No:         2:24-CR-00016-SAB

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