Two Men Enter Guilty Pleas in Navy Health Care, Pay Fraud Case
NORFOLK, Va. – Jeffrey H. Marshburn, 50, and Kristopher Graham-Marshburn, 45, of Hampton, Va., pleaded guilty today to charges involving their roles in a conspiracy to unlawfully obtain Navy health care and pay benefits to which they were not entitled.
Neil H. MacBride, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Mark D. Clookie, Director, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, made the announcement after the guilty pleas were accepted by United States District Judge Arenda Wright-Allen. Both defendants face a maximum sentence of five years in prison when they are sentenced on October 31, 2011.
In a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Jeffrey Marshburn admitted entering into a fraudulent marriage with a U.S. Navy Commander so that the Commander, an active duty Navy doctor, could receive additional pay, Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), from the Navy as a married officer, and so that Marshburn could receive TRICARE healthcare benefits as a Navy dependant. The Commander allegedly received at least $27,000 in additional pay and Marshburn filed at least $20,000 in healthcare claims that TRICARE paid. Graham-Marshburn, a retired USN Corpsman, who served with the Navy Commander onboard USS WASP in 2003, admitted entering into a fraudulent marriage with a Florida woman. Graham-Marshburn received at least $75,000 in unlawful BAH, and the Florida woman and her son filed at least $125,000 in healthcare claims that TRICARE paid.
This case was investigated by Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen W. Haynie is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.justice.gov/usao/vae. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia at http://www.vaed.uscourts.gov or on https://pcl.uscourts.gov.
