A little effort went a long way for Christopher Stultz. In January of 2003, Stultz told the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), that he was no longer able to use his feet. We are not talking about amputation here. Stultz said he feet just didn’t work. With regards to benefits awarded from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), feet not working means money. Because Stultz told the VA that he could not use his feet after leaving the service, Stultz got a 100% disability pay grade giving him the opportunity to fraudulently receive almost $700K more than he should have received over a twenty year time frame. Because the VA believed Stultz was unable to use his feet, Stultz was also awarded funding through the VA’s Automobile Adaptive Equipment program to purchase special cars and vehicle adaptations designed to help mobility-impaired veterans.
However, Stultz did not need a wheelchair or other ambulatory device to move around. Apparently, he was walking just fine except for when he was in any VA Medical Center. Then Stultz lost all ability to walk. For example, on October 28, 2021, Stultz went to the VA Medical Center in Jamaica Plain in Boston. He used a wheelchair while inside the VA facility, but after leaving, he stood up, lifted the wheelchair into his car and drove off to a shopping mall, where he walked normally through multiple stores. It’s a miracle! On Oct. 3, 2022, Stultz went to the VA Medical Center in Manchester, again using the wheelchair while inside. After leaving the VA facility, Stultz drove to the Mall of New Hampshire and was recorded walking normally through multiple stores. There is a pattern here.
And there was no problem with Stultz’s feet when he was working. Stultz was a kindergarten teacher at Antrim Elementary School. And between 2003 and 2022, while he was teaching on his feet, Stultz received $662,871.77 in fraudulent disability payments.
Great job by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs.
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Christopher Stultz of Antrim pleads guilty to faking disability for veterans benefits” published by the Monadnock Ledger Transcript on January 25, 2024
An Antrim man pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court to faking a disability to improperly receive $662,871.77 in veterans benefits. According to a statement from U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young’s office, Christopher Stultz, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements, after having been charged Sept. 13, 2023.
From January 2003 through December 2022, Stultz falsely represented to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that he was no longer able to use his feet. This caused the VA to rate him as 100% disabled, increasing his monthly VA benefits.
