Ex-RI VFW Commander Admits To Stolen Valor Charges, Faking Cancer

NORTH KINGSTOWN, RI — The former commander of the North Kingstown VFW admitted to a federal judge Tuesday she lied about being a cancer-stricken U.S. Marine veteran with a Purple Heart and Bronze Star to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from veteran charities.

Sarah Cavanaugh, 31, of East Greenwich, pleaded guilty to fraud, aggravated identity theft, forgery, and fraudulent use of medals, according to the U.S. Attorney's District of Rhode Island Office.

"Every day, thousands of American men and women honorably serve this country in uniform," U.S. Attorney Zachary Cunha said in a statement. "They sacrifice for our safety, putting themselves in harm's way, often without praise or public recognition, and they deserve our thanks and our respect. This defendant sought to trade on that respect — respect she did not earn, evoked by a uniform to which she had no claim — by pretending that she was a United States Marine battling stage IV cancer, in order to trick generous members of the public into lining her pockets. Her conduct is disgraceful, and it richly warrants her conviction today as a federal felon."

Cavanaugh admitted that she posed as a wounded veteran who served overseas and had been awarded both the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. She also admitted she bought replicas of awards and displayed on a U.S. Marine uniform she wore at public events.

A search of Defense Department records indicates Cavanaugh never served in any branch of the U.S. military.

Additionally, Cavanaugh admitted she used her position as a social worker at the Rhode Island Veterans Affairs Medical Center to access person information and medical records belonging to a marine and a cancer-stricken U.S. Navy veteran, prosecutors said.

Cavanaugh used the information to create false documents and medical records in her name, claiming that she was an honorably-discharged marine stricken with cancer, according to court documents.

Prosecutors said Cavanaugh used the fraudulent documents in various schemes to steal more than $250,000 in cash, charitable donations and services reserved for injured veterans.

"What Sarah Cavanaugh did is despicable and an insult to the brave men and women who have selflessly risked their lives, and made real sacrifices in service to this country," said Joseph Bonavolonta, the special agent in charge of the FBI Boston Division. "Now this fraudster is a convicted felon for claiming valor where there is none, and for swindling more than a quarter of a million dollars in benefits and charitable donations from unsuspecting citizens who wanted nothing more than to help deserving veterans."

Under the terms of Cavanaugh's plea agreement reached on July 1, she agreed that the final amount of restitution owed to her victims will be determined by the court during sentencing. She also agreed to add more than $82,000 to her restitution obligations, which represents her proceeds from her recent sale of real estate.

Cavanaugh faces a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 10.