Enfield Man Accused of Defrauding Department of Veterans Affairs

ENFIELD, CT — An Enfield man was arrested Thursday on charges related to his submission of altered documents to the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”), according to John H. Durham, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Field Office; and James M. Noble, Special Agent in Charge, Coast Guard Investigative Service, Northeast Region.

Derrick Brewer, 35, of Enfield, was charged with theft of government funds, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and making false statements, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.

According to the criminal complaint, in March 2018, Brewer submitted paperwork to the VA offices in Hartford as part of an application for service-connected disability benefits. Specifically, Brewer submitted a DD-214 form which indicated his discharge from the U.S. Coast Guard was characterized as “Honorable,” Durham said.

The DD-214 had been altered prior to its submission, as official Coast Guard records indicate Brewer’s discharge was characterized as “Other Than Honorable Conditions” following Brewer’s convictions under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. There is no record of the discharge characterization ever having been upgraded, Durham said.

As a result of this submission, Brewer collected approximately $69,584.16 in VA benefits through Sept. 30, 2020, according to Durham.

Brewer appeared Thursday via videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson, and was released on a $10,000 bond, Durham said.

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