Former Cleveland VA Administrator Accused Of Theft: DOJ

CLEVELAND — A former Cleveland Veterans Affairs (VA) administrator has been accused of stealing government property and fraud, the Department of Justice announced.

William H. Precht, 53, from Kent, was indicted by a grand jury on Friday. He faces charges of theft of government property, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and false statements relating to health care matters.

For nearly a decade, the indictment said, Precht used his position at the VA Medical Center to try and enrich himself and his co-conspirators.

Starting in October 2010 and continuing through February 2018, Precht used his VA-issued purchase card to buy items from a company controlled by one of his friends, the indictment said.

Precht is also accused of creating a system of kickbacks in exchange for steering VA business toward a medical supplies company in South Euclid, prosecutors said.

The indictment also said Precht would accept valuable goods from medical supplies vendors — including sporting events tickets, money, and future business interest — in exchange for beneficial action at the VA.

The Department of Justice believes Precht then lied about his activity while speaking to other VA employees. Prosecutors said Precht falsified patient records to justify purchases of implants.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation into Precht was led by the Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of the Inspector General, Cleveland and the Cleveland Division of the FBI.