Chubbuck man gets prison for defrauding disabled veteran of $260,000
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The following is a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Idaho.
POCATELLO — A Chubbuck man was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court to 18 months in prison for defrauding a disabled veteran and the federal government of nearly $260,000.
Travis John Attanasio, 54, also will get three years of supervised release and U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge ordered Attanasio to pay $259,563 in restitution, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Idaho.
Attanasio pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and theft of government funds on December 1.
According to court proceedings, Attanasio admitted that between June 29, 2012, and October 30, 2014, he defrauded a disabled veteran and the federal government. Attanasio volunteered to serve as the fiduciary for the veteran, and instead of conserving the victim’s funds and monthly benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, he spent them at various retail and online vendors, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson said in the release.
Additionally, Attanasio requested and received a portion of the victim’s conserved Social Security funds that he subsequently spent. During the time Attanasio received and spent the funds, he knew that the victim was a disabled veteran living in a state veteran’s home.
The case was jointly investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General with help from the Pocatello Police Department. The case was being prosecuted by a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney as part of a partnership venture between the Social Security Administration Office of General Counsel and the United States Attorney’s Office to prosecute social security fraud.