Sentence for Veterans Admin Official Whose Home Improvement Projects Were Done on Taxpayers' Dime

Venita Godfrey-Scott, a former Veterans Administration supervisor who stole from her federal agency to fix up her home will have plenty of reminders of her crime for the next six months — because that home is where she’ll have to spend it.

A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Godfrey-Scott to confinement in her home for the next six months, along with four years of probation and restitution of $15,000.

Godfrey-Scott, who supervised maintenance workers at the VA hospital in West Haven, had employees go to her house with materials stolen from her agency to build improvements. If the VA didn’t have the material she wanted, she gave employees her work credit card to buy more.

So for the next six months, she’ll find reminders of what was done in a bathroom, on the back deck, in the bathroom, in the basement and elsewhere as she walks on a carpet installed with your tax dollars at work.

Here’s an announcement about the sentencing from the United States Attorney’s Office in Connecticut:

Venita Godfrey-Scott, 48, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to four years of probation, the first six months of which Godfrey-Scott must spend in home confinement with electronic monitoring, for stealing government property that she used for various home improvement projects.

Godfrey-Scott was also ordered to perform 120 hours of community service and to pay restitution in the amount of $15,000.According to court documents and statements made in court, Godfrey-Scott was employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) at the Medical Center in West Haven as a supervisor in the Facilities Management Service, which is responsible for carpentry, paint, locks, doors, and other minor construction projects at the Medical Center.

From approximately 2010 until 2013, Godfrey-Scott directed VA employees that she supervised to perform home improvement projects at her private residence, including a deck in her backyard, carpet installation, and various kitchen, bathroom and basement improvements.

Godfrey-Scott directed the employees to use materials, supplies, tools, and vehicles belonging to the VA, and also had the employees purchase necessary materials at local stores using her government-issued credit card.

She sometimes directed the employees to work on her home improvement projects during their regular work hours while they were being paid by the VA. The total loss to the government as a result of Godfrey-Scott’s criminal conduct is estimated to be between $15,000 and $20,000.

On May 14, 2014, Godfrey-Scott pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property.

This matter was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs Police and the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General Northeast Regional Investigations Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.