In a case that's a straight-up gut punch to veterans' groups in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, local woman Jessika L. Hiepler, age 46, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges, having orchestrated a scheme that siphoned $1.425 million from two nonprofits dedicated to serving veterans. United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero broke the news about Hiepler's plea before Judge Jeffrey L. Schmehl, detailing how this board member of the American Legion Post 34 took financial control under the guise of helping another struggling veterans' organization, American Veterans Post 19, only to lead it into further ruin, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Hiepler, trusted for nearly 15 years at the American Legion Post 34, was wearing hats as the manager, treasurer, and financial officer, and she played dirty with the finances she was supposed to oversee meticulously. She began her duplicitous dealings with a deceitfully promised "bailout" for the financially floundering AMVETS Post 19. Then she went on to acquire its valuable four-acre commercial property, not just through one act of deceit but by massaging the truth, shifting money from the American Legion Post 34, where she held a crucial financial role, and employing manipulation and destruction of records to guard her tracks in this fraudulent dance of numbers and ownership.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania describes Hiepler's actions as a profound betrayal. U.S. Attorney Romero calls her behavior "palpable — and despicable," pointing out that she used insults and foul language behind the scenes. They are committed to seeking justice for all victims of her fraud. Hiepler faces up to 40 years in prison, possibly three years of supervised release, a $500,000 fine, and must pay back $1,425,847.24, the amount she gained from her crimes.
The FBI and Lancaster City Police helped with the investigation, while Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel S. Dalke and Andrew Jenemann are handling the prosecution. The final sentencing is still pending, and it comes at a time when betrayal against those who have served feels especially serious.
