Gold Star Family Scammer Gets 12 Years

| August 23, 2024


Caz Craffy

Ex-Army staffer who defrauded Gold Star families sentenced to 12 years

After a Washington Post investigation, authorities pursued counselor Caz Craffy and found he swindled millions from grieving military families.
By Alex Horton

A former Army financial counselor who siphoned millions of dollars from life insurance funds in a fraud scheme targeting Gold Star families was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison, prosecutors said, in a case officials described as a shocking abuse of grieving widows and children.

Caz Craffy, 42, was an Army civilian employee responsible for providing basic financial guidance for Army families facing the loss of loved ones. But for years, he leveraged that position to illegally cultivate families into clients for a brokerage firm where he was moonlighting, urging them to invest their insurance payouts in high-risk trades with exorbitant commissions, The Washington Post found in an exclusive investigation ahead of his arrest last year.

Two dozen families lost $3.7 million cumulatively, prosecutors said, netting Craffy $1.4 million in commissions in activity that the Army failed to detect. In some cases, Craffy was assigned to work with families he then victimized. In others, he scoured military databases to find additional people he could exploit, authorities said.

Following Craffy’s guilty plea for wire and securities fraud, the government asked a federal judge to sentence him 10 years in prison. The judge handed down a sentence of more than 12 years in prison, including the forfeiture of the commission money, prosecutors said in a news release.

Washington Post

Craffy was an Army Reserve major and civilian Army employee who used his position as a financial and benefits counselor to target families who received compensation after the duty-related deaths of their soldiers. Craffy illegally held positions with two separate financial investment firms and encouraged grieving families to invest their survivor benefits in accounts that he managed in his outside, private employment.

Prosecutors say he convinced the families that the financial schemes he recommended were approved by the Army while lining his own pockets.

BZ to the judge for ignoring the government sentencing recommendations.

Category: Crime, Gold Star

17 Comments
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KoB

Maybe the Boys of Cell Block D will f*ck this POS as hard as he f*cked his victims. One can always hope so.

RCAF-CHAIRBORNE

I hope he becomes Tyrone the Tripod’s girlfriend

26Limabeans

He should be tied down and pissed upon.
Daily.

Green Thumb

All-Points Logistics could use a guy like this.

Surprised Phil Monkres (CEO of All-Points Logistics) did not spin up Lori Benton and get her on the case.

President Elect Toxic Deplorable Racist SAH Neande

Only a dozen years? BAH! Chump change.

He has to give back the money too, $1.2M. Not sure how much of that he has left but they should wring him dry.

Still isn’t enough. This guy is in the running for douche canoe of the decade.

Last edited 1 month ago by 5JC
Forest Bondurant

He has to pay back $1.2M, and has been sentenced to 12 years in prison?

If my math is correct, he can always charge $1.00 to perform 1 act of fellatio and $1.00 to take it in the squeakhole each day he’s in prison…so if he serves day-for-day of the 12-year sentence without parole, he’ll have to perform both acts no less than 137 times a day until he raises the money.

If he ups both acts to 2, 4 or even 6 times a day, he could save enough money to make restitution AND make enough for himself for when he’s released.

26Limabeans

Sooner if he can earn bone us points.

Blaster

That just isn’t good enough!!!

SFC D

His sentence should be 12 years hard labor, that labor being scrubbing headstones at Arlington. 12 hours a day, 6 days a week. No probation, no parole.

Odie

I would add 8 hours on Sunday too. Give him 4 hrs to attend church. And as long as his scrubbing of headstones doesn’t result in them looking like the statue of liberty did after Lee Iaccoca spearheaded the cleaning/restoration of that landmark.

OAM

This is the first thing I saw this morning when looking at TAH. Didn’t have time to comment then but have had a smile on my face since. Rot in hell and I hope your cell mates arrange for your introduction to your permanent home…days before your release in 11 years, 11 months and 29 days (or whatever amount of time you actually serve, less one day).

Meanwhile I’m hearing of a Navy vet and failed politician (ran and lost for local school board and county positions). Seems “it” ingratiated and weaseled “it’s” way into a veteran organization and used a legit CFP license to “help veterans invest” backpay claims. More smiles hearing “it” was keel-hauled and the Feds are interested in “it’s” activities.

I’m satisfied with my window seat on the karma bus.

E. Conboy

I approve this comment!

A Proud Infidel®™

Here’s hoping he gets put in a Max Security Prison versus some cush “Club Fed”, he needs to have his ass straightened out prison style!

Odie

Caz Craffey is crazy.

Jimbojszz

Because he swindled grieving families I think he should be hanged. This turkey is a real scum bag. He showed no mercy going after money. Maybe the guards that looked after Epstein could watch over him.

Slow Joe

12 years?
That’s why this shit keeps happening