A Westland woman, Sophia Quill, aged 63, has entered a no contest plea for running a criminal enterprise that defrauded the U.S. Departemnt of Veterans Affairs and the Michigan Department of Treasury out of nearly $470,000, officials said. According to FOX 2 Detroit, Quill's plea includes a sentence of 6 ½ to 20 years in prison and a restitution order to pay back the embezzled funds. Quill and co-defendant Melissa Flores were accused of using aliases and falsified documents to appear as heirs to deceased U.S. veterans to claim benefits unlawfully.
Quill's son, Steven Decker, was also implicated in the scheme, having received and utilized some of the stolen money. As Hometown Life reports, Decker has been sentenced to two years probation and ordered to pay $28,506 in restitution after pleading no contest to receiving stolen property. Flores had previously pleaded guilty to related charges and is facing two years in prison along with $110,000 in restitution. The Attorney General, Dana Nessel, pointed out that the stolen funds were meant to support servicemembers and their rightful heirs, and the sentencings aim to rectify the misuse of the money.
In a press release, Nessel stated, "The codefendants in this case stole hundreds of thousands of dollars intended to fund hard-earned benefits for servicemembers and their rightful heirs." Michigan's top prosecutor further commented on the collaborative effort for justice, as quoted by Michigan’s government news, "My department worked diligently to ensure the Department of Veterans Affairs will receive restitution in the resolution of this case and that Quill, the mastermind, receive a significant sentence."
Quill's sentencing is slated for January 30, before Judge Anne McCarthy in the 3rd Circuit Court.
