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Gulfport, Miss. – A Saucier man pled guilty to stealing government property, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey A. Breen of the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) South Central Field Office.
According to court documents, Chad Paul Jacob, 54, pled guilty to stealing personal protective equipment (“PPE”), electronics, and medical equipment while working as the Assistant Chief of Supply Chain Management for the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System. Beginning in 2009 and until December 2020, Jacob stole VA property which he resold at local pawn stores and on his personal eBay account. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jacob stole N-95 masks and resold them for grossly inflated prices. In total, Jacob made more than $50,000 selling the stolen N-95 masks and over $9,000 selling stolen iPads and iPhones.
“Since the onset of the pandemic, the VA Office of Inspector General has aggressively investigated the increasing and evolving threat posed by COVID-19-related fraud and criminal activity. Today’s guilty plea demonstrates our ongoing work to stop those who take advantage of public health emergencies to perpetrate such frauds,” said VA OIG Special Agent in Charge Breen.”
Jacob is scheduled to be sentenced on December 7, 2021 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The VA Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathlyn R. Van Buskirk is prosecuting the case
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