Walt Eatman sentenced
We talked about Walt Eatman in March when he was busted for stealing about $106,000 in benefits from the VA for his phony Vietnam service. He was sentenced Friday according to Stars & Stripes, but no jail time – all probation, but at least he has to pay back the money he stole;
Eatman, known as “Walt” and “Sandman,” was sentenced to five years of probation. He also must pay the government back $53,270 for medical treatment to which he was not entitled. He could have received up to 15 years in prison.
Prosecutors initially said he stole about $106,000 in government money and benefits, including medication and mental-health counseling for post-traumatic stress syndrome, by lying about having been in combat in Vietnam.
Senior U.S. District Judge Richard Lazzara, who sentenced Eatman in his Tampa courtroom, reduced the amount after the Department of Veterans Affairs decided that Eatman did qualify for treatment for hearing problems.
Eatman falsely claimed he received a Purple Heart and Bronze Star after serving in Vietnam, court records show. He was in the service from August 1965 to August 1967, but he was not in combat.
He pleaded guilty Feb. 27 to theft of government funds and making false statements.
It looks like some of the guys he had fooled stuck up for him in court saying that Walt had put the interests of his Legion post and veterans in general ahead of everything else. How is that possible? He was a shithead liar who made up stories. That’s putting himself ahead of his Legion post and veterans, FFS. Well, at least we’ll get our money back.
Thanks to Chief Tango for the link.
Category: Phony soldiers
Not nearly enough…..
Doc Savage: I agree. I think he should have gotten some time. IMO a year and a day plus 5 years probation would be about right, but I’d have been OK with 6 months in prison and the 5 years probation.
A Federal felony conviction, 5 years probation, and restitution of
$106k$53+k isn’t exactly nothing. But here, some time was IMO apropos.With the two sentencing stories today, it seems it’s better to steal from the government than a private organization.
It also shows that getting into a p!ssing contest with the prosecutor and coming off as an arrogant a-hole while making a plea for leniency isn’t a good idea. I’d guess judges would notice that, and take it as evidence of somewhat less-than-heartfelt contrition. (smile)
I hate reading stories like this. It strikes too close to home like when I redirected CO state grant money for a non-profit halfway house I ran to the Sudan
https://thetruthaboutsocnetlies.wordpress.com/2012/03/01/john-giduck-may-have-used-colorado-tax-payer-money-to-fund-rebels-in-the-sudan/
I do like Mr. Eatman’s nicknames though. I had a very close nickname to Sandman many years ago. It was “Sandbag” and only used during my 58 days of basic training.
Sincerely
John “Faker 6” Giduck
It bothers me that he even had “Post Brothers” to testify for him since he should have been dismissed from that Post. This is the kind of Post that breeds and harbors phonies. At least it looks that way to me.
He should have gotten time inside plus restitution. Kinda old ET1 said it best. “It’s better and easier on you to steal from the government (make that you and me as taxpayers) than a private corporation”. Who would have often gone for the throat. But then again in my industry before I retired we had a guy embezzle several hundred thousand from the company. All they did was fire him and get a private court order for restitution because they did not want the bad press that our company, a public utility, had been fleeced. So you never know.
But in these instances we do need a hard line in the dirt that this stuff will not stand and those caught will get hard time. Period.
Again though, (sounds like I am the Devil’s advocate here though it’s not my intention) how many people are caught every single day defrauding the welfare system for butt loads of money and benefits and all that happens is they are kicked out of the program. That is until they show up at a different office with a different Social Security number. Happens in my state ALL the time. My wife works for the state and has seen it every single day of her career.
I’ve always been curious about something, i.e., when someone is sentenced to make financial restitution, how is that penalty enforced if the felonious miscreant doesn’t have any funds, real property, assets, and/or employment?
I’m guessing the disgraced convict would have already exhausted any and all resources on legal expenses and attorney(‘s) fees.
had a lady in a trusted position steal a lot of money from my parents … when she was caught the judge set up monthly payments and her probation was dependent on making them. She paid it all (under threat of going to jail) – but as is usual, she repaid less than 50%. If my wife didn’t need my support, I would go and take the balance out of her kneecaps and elbows.
John asked:
“I’ve always been curious about something, i.e., when someone is sentenced to make financial restitution, how is that penalty enforced if the felonious miscreant doesn’t have any funds, real property, assets, and/or employment?”
I think we should harvest their organs and other body parts.
Me too.
from his still living body, this week.
Who says crime doesn’t pay? As far as I can tel, he’s about $53K to the good – stole $106K wortyh and only has to pay back half.
Where was the DD214… ???
See Jonn’s original article on Eatman (it’s linked above). In that original article, Jonn quotes a news source that states Eatman used an altered discharge document (e.g., DD214) to show he’d served in combat as he claimed.
“Eatman”?
I think they misspelled “Eatabagofdicksman”.
Thomas Keller gets 10 years for around the same amount of theft while this turd gets 0 jail time?
WTF.
Moral of the story. Steal from the government, get less punishment.
Well, FatCircles0311 – the fact that Keller got into a p!ssing contest with the prosecutor (and appeared both arrogant and unrepentant while engaging in said p!ssing contest) during his plea for leniency at sentencing might just have had something to do with it. I understand judges do take note of things like that. (smile)
This fucker got off way too easy…
Probably would have gotten away with it too, if he hadn’t gone back in for the increase in bennies. That seems to get a lot of the fuckers, they get greedy and keep pushing for more and someone (finally) investigates.
Yet another one down in Florida.
I wonder what Bob “The Maggot” Hay thinks about this?