In a revealing case of deception and theft, a Lancaster County woman has admitted to defrauding veteran organizations of over $1 million. Jessika Hiepler, 46, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud, as reported by ABC27, after siphoning funds from American Legion Post 34 and American Veterans Post 19 over the course of several years.

Hiepler, who served in various leadership roles, including as a board member, manager, and treasurer, at Legion Post 34 for nearly 15 years, offered in 2019 to assist AMVETS Post 19, which was experiencing financial strain, according to information from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania obtained by FOX43. Her offer, however, was a ruse to assume control of Post 19's financial affairs, allowing her to acquire, and later sell, its property under false pretenses.

Investigations revealed that Hiepler not only misappropriated funds from Legion Post 34 to supposedly bail out AMVETS Post 19, but she also embezzled money from Post 19 once she took over the financial controls. Her nefarious actions included destroying and altering business and financial records to mask her fraud. In an egregious act of betrayal against those who served, she was caught making dismissive and insulting remarks about the veteran organizations. "I can’t wait to see their face when we hand them their eviction notice," Hiepler said, and, "Honestly all I want is my money. That’s it," as reported by FOX56.

Ultimately, Hiepler's deceitful actions led her to profit from the sale of AMVETS Post 19's property for $1.95 million, marking a gain of $1.425 million after expenses. Her scheme which began under the guise of charity, resulted in a substantial personal financial windfall and significant losses for the veteran organizations. U.S. Attorney Romero condemned Hiepler's contempt for the veterans, stating, "Not only did she defraud these organizations, she did so gleefully, hurling insults and expletives behind the scenes," in a statement highlighted by ABC27.

Now facing a maximum possible sentence of 40 years in prison, along with three years of supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and restitution, Hiepler's wrongdoing has come full circle. As part of her plea agreement, she agreed to a forfeiture money judgment in the equivalent amount of her ill-gotten gain, sealing her fall from trusted community member to convicted felon.