On January 12, 2025, Kevin Paul McMains, 44, of Milton, Florida, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of theft of government money and two counts of making false statements to federal agencies. U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks imposed the sentence for McMains, who had fraudulently received over $779,000 in government disability benefits by providing false information over nearly 14 years.
McMains’ scheme, which spanned from January 2008 to November 2022, involved submitting fabricated documents and making deceptive statements to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to claim he was suffering from service-related disabilities. He falsely claimed that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) had severely impacted his ability to work and perform daily activities. Additionally, McMains falsely asserted that he had been awarded a Purple Heart, a prestigious military decoration, to strengthen his claims of service-connected injuries.
The fraudulent claims allowed McMains to qualify for and collect not only VA disability benefits but also Social Security disability benefits and Medicare coverage. His criminal actions resulted in significant financial gains at the expense of taxpayers and legitimate veterans in need of the benefits. In total, McMains defrauded the VA of $378,380.82, the Social Security Administration (SSA) of $357,847.80, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of $43,451.56.
As part of his sentence, McMains was ordered to pay full restitution, totaling $779,680.18, to the affected agencies. After serving his 33-month prison sentence, McMains will be subject to two years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida condemned McMains’ actions, emphasizing the importance of protecting the integrity of veterans’ benefits programs. “Our service members, and their families, make incredible sacrifices to defend our country and are deserving of our deepest respect and the disability benefits intended for our injured patriots,” Coody said. “McMains’ fabrication of documents and false claims is not only criminal but repugnant. We remain committed to investigating and prosecuting those who defraud these critical programs.”
The investigation into McMains was conducted by the VA Office of Inspector General, the SSA Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The joint efforts resulted in the uncovering of McMains’ long-running fraud scheme. Assistant U.S. Attorneys J. Ryan Love and Alicia Forbes led the prosecution of the case.
Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov of the VA Office of Inspector General’s Northwest Field Office noted, “This sentence sends a clear message that veterans who defraud the VA by exaggerating their disabilities will be held accountable.” Jermaine Jack, Acting Special Agent in Charge for the SSA Office of the Inspector General’s Atlanta Field Division, echoed this sentiment, stating, “McMains defrauded the SSA out of hundreds of thousands of dollars, and this 33-month prison sentence holds him accountable for his malicious acts.”
Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the HHS-OIG also commented on the broader impact of McMains’ actions, stating, “Individuals who fraudulently obtain Medicare benefits that they are not entitled to divert taxpayer funds meant to pay for essential health services for legitimate enrollees, including the elderly and disabled.” Ryan reaffirmed HHS-OIG’s commitment to thoroughly investigating health care fraud.
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