In a disgraceful display of deceit, Rhode Island resident Sarah Jane Cavanaugh was exposed for her fraudulent claims of being a U.S. Marine and using that stolen valor for a quick buck. This woman, who never served a day in the military, had the audacity to claim she was awarded prestigious honors such as the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.
Cavanaugh was employed at a veterans’ medical center in Rhode Island where she stooped so low as to steal the identities of real veterans, including that of a Navy veteran battling cancer. She shamelessly pretended to have cancer herself and managed to swindle $250,000 under the guise of medical expenses.
The depth of Cavanaugh’s deception didn’t end there. She wormed her way into becoming the leader of a local veterans group. However, her web of lies began to unravel when a military charity could find no evidence supporting her claims of service. A retired Marine officer also raised suspicions when he noticed inconsistencies in her stories about her supposed rank upon leaving the military.
Inevitably, justice caught up with Cavanaugh when she was found guilty of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, forged military discharge certificate, and fraudulent use of military medals charges in August. A federal judge sentenced her to nearly six years in federal prison and ordered her to repay $284,796.82 in restitution to her victims.
This case is a stark example of the audacious exploitation of military valor and benefits. As Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division, Joseph R. Bonavolonta, rightly stated, “Sarah Cavanagh feigned having cancer, and falsely claimed valor where there was none, to gain hundreds of thousands of dollars in benefits and charitable donations.”
The Stolen Valor Act of 2013, which makes it illegal to lie about military service for financial or other benefits, has proven its importance through Cavanaugh’s punishment.
Let this incident serve as a stern reminder for everyone to be vigilant about claims of military service. We must ensure that we honor genuine military heroes and protect the assistance meant for them from fraudsters like Cavanaugh.
Another example of where our government just pays out money with hardly any oversight. This goes on and on and nothing is done to stop this. Even those who are suppose to do checks on these programs never get any penalty for not doing their job. It should be easy with our computer systems to follow up yet no action taken.
That woman would be terrific as a democRat rep or senator.