A Montgomery County man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Victor Milbourne of King of Prussia was sentenced to 18 months behind bars for fraudulently obtaining more than $240,000 in disability benefits, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney David Metcalf's office.
Charged by indictment last August, the 52-year-old admitted to 10 counts of theft of government funds. Court filings document that from December 2013 through December 2022, Milbourne deceived the VA by asserting severe disability and an inability to work due to service-connected injuries. As per details in court documents and by Milbourne's own admission, this was far from the truth.
Vigorously demonstrating the opposite, Milbourne led an active lifestyle, including international travel, running his own enterprise, and participating in strenuous physical exercises several times a week. He "used the funds he stole from the VA to support his preferred lifestyle, including frequent dinners out and luxury vacations," U.S. Attorney David Metcalf's office disclosed.
Aside from the prison term, Judge Paul S. Diamond ordered Milbourne to undergo three years of supervised release. He must also pay $241,690 in restitution, a $20,000 fine, and a special assessment of $1,000. The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General and the FBI's Philadelphia Fort Washington Resident Agency conducted the investigation, with Special Assistant United States Attorney Laura Bradbury and Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony Scicchitano and MaryTeresa Soltis leading the prosecution.
The case reflects ongoing efforts to safeguard the integrity of essential benefits programs intended for those genuinely in need. The enforcement actions, publicized in an announcement from the U.S. Attorney's office, send a clear message about the consequences of defrauding government agencies and the veterans they serve.
