DOJ releases annual report on efforts to combat elder fraud & abuse

KANSAS CITY, KAN. – This week the Department of Justice’s Civil Division released its Annual Report to Congress on its efforts to Combat Elder Fraud and Abuse: Office of Public Affairs | Justice Department Releases Eighth Annual Elder Justice Report | United States Department of Justice.

The report summarizes the department’s extensive enforcement, victim support, training and myriad other efforts to promote elder justice during the reporting period from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026. This year, the Department pursued nearly 350 criminal and civil enforcement actions involving fraud or abuse that targeted or disproportionately affected older adults. Approximately 96% of the cases were criminal in nature and 45% involved international schemes. These cases named 712 defendants charged with stealing or alleged to have stolen $4,841,305,931 from 711,353 victims.

The report includes the prosecution of Larry Dennis Beasley Jr. by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for District of Kansas. In July 2025, Beasley was sentenced to 12 months and a day in prison after pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud. 

Beasley, an active-duty U.S. Coast Guardsman, was assigned to the Pay and Personnel Center (PPC) in Topeka. The PPC handles personnel and compensation services and is responsible for maintaining human resource records. An audit showed Beasley changed passwords on several accounts of retirees who had reported missing paychecks. Beasley made the changes without approval and redirected deposits into his own bank account.

Beasley attempted to redirect $121,699, however, $69,086 was recouped. As part of his plea agreement Beasley agreed to pay restitution of $52,613, which remained outstanding.

“In the military, I learned that service members often must rely on one another without hesitation,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “The defendant in this case violated that fundamental trust and exploited his position to steal from others who took an oath to serve their country and their families.”

The U.S. Coast Guard Office of Inspector General (USCG-OIG) investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Debenham prosecuted the case.

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