BOP Correctional Officer Pleaded Guilty to Grand Theft of Personal Property

On October 31, 2022, a BOP Correctional Officer and student of Alliance School of Trucking (AST) in Los Angeles County, California, pleaded guilty to one count of grand theft of personal property and agreed to pay $14,408.34 restitution to the U.S. Government and a $2,265.63 fine in lieu of performing 145 hours of community service.  Natalie Sanchez pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles.  According to the plea agreement, Sanchez pleaded guilty to Count 2 of the Criminal Complaint, which stated that from on or about December 8, 2011, through on or about April 22, 2015, Sanchez and others defrauded the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of property, including electronic and other bank transfers, checks, U.S. currency, and other payments in the total amount of approximately $4,309,374.  The Criminal Complaint states that AST recruited eligible veterans to defraud the VA of Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits by telling veterans that they could collect benefits from the VA by enrolling in their truck driving school but not actually attending education programs.  According to the Criminal Complaint, Sanchez was one of several veterans that fraudulently applied for and collected VA Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits through AST. The investigation is being conducted by the OIG’s Los Angeles Field Office, the VA OIG, and the FBI.