A former U.S. Navy sailor who faked needing a wheelchair for 20 years was sentenced in federal court on May 6 for obtaining $662,871.77 in veteran’s disability benefits that he was not entitled to.
Christopher Stultz , 49, of Antrim, New Hampshire was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante to 18 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. Stultz was also ordered to pay $662,871.77 in restitution. Stultz pleaded guilty to making false statements on Jan. 25.
“This is one of the most egregious benefits fraud cases ever prosecuted in this state,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young in a statement. “The defendant lied to the VA for 20 years to obtain disability benefits he was not entitled to. He stole not only from taxpayers but also his fellow veterans who were entitled to the benefits. Today’s sentence shows that the consequence of stealing from programs that support our veterans is federal prison.”
Stultz joined the Navy in 1995 and was injured the following year after falling off a horse, according to the statement. He performed light duties afterward and was discharged in 1999.
The Department of Veterans Affairs initially rated him as partly disabled, but in 2003 Stultz began falsely claiming that he could no longer use both his feet, according to the statement. Based on that claim, the VA rated the defendant as 100% disabled, increasing his monthly benefits.
In addition, because the VA believed Stultz was unable to use his feet, he was also awarded almost $190,000 in funding through the VA’s Automobile Adaptive Equipment program to purchase special cars and vehicle adaptations designed to help mobility-impaired veterans. Stultz never used the special cars and instead sold them for cash.
“Today’s sentencing holds this defendant accountable for faking injuries that resulted in him receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in VA disability compensation that he did not deserve,” said Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office.
After a concerned citizen reported potential fraud, Stultz was surveilled on multiple occasions and recorded walking without impairment. For example, on Oct. 28, 2021, Stultz went to the VA Medical Center in Jamaica Plain in Boston. He used a wheelchair while inside the VA facility. After leaving the VA, he stood up, lifted the wheelchair into his car, and drove off to a shopping mall. There, Stultz walked without impairment through multiple stores.
Similarly, on Oct. 3, 2022, Stultz went to the VA Medical Center in Manchester. Again, he used a wheelchair while inside the VA facility. After leaving the VA facility, Stultz drove to the Mall of New Hampshire and was recorded walking without impairment through multiple stores. In addition, multiple witnesses reported that they had never known Stultz to use a wheelchair or other ambulatory devices as far back as the early 2000s.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com .
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