Travel Expense Fraud: Prison for Former Quantico Marine Base Official

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A former civilian deputy inspector general at Marine Corps Base Quantico was sentenced Thursday to one year and one day in prison for fraudulent travel expenses that cost the government more than $197,000, according the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.

Rupert Granville Miller, 56, of Chester, also was ordered to pay full restitution: exactly $197,505.83.

Miller's duties included traveling across the country to inspect Marine Corps facilities and their operations. But from January 2011 to November 2015, he also made stops he submitted as official business but, in fact, were not.

Miller also submitted expense reports for travel to Japan, Germany, Singapore and the Dominican Republic; with such travel approved after he forged his supervisor's signature and created false documents.

"Due to his greed, Rupert Miller chose to commit criminal acts, which violated the public's trust and the very principles of the position he held as the Deputy Inspector General of the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Training and Education Command," said DCIS Special Agent in Charge Robert E. Craig, Jr. "His actions are not reflective of those of active duty service members and civilian employees of the USMC who serve their country honorably and with great pride. Along with our law enforcement partners, DCIS will continue to aggressively pursue allegations of fraud and corruption impacting the Department of Defense."

Added Dana Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District: "Miller’s fraud cost taxpayers nearly $200,000 (and) we take these crimes seriously and will investigate and prosecute individuals who engage in this activity. I want to thank our investigative partners at the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service for their terrific work on this case."

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