JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville woman accused of taking more than $100,000 from Veterans Affairs has pled guilty in federal court, according to the Department of Justice.
Tamiko L. Williams, 48, has pleaded guilty to a charge of theft of government money and she potentially faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled, according to the DOJ. Williams will forfeit $103,820, the proceeds of her criminal conduct, as part of the plea.
JSO's Internal Affairs Unit was notified that a civilian employee had been the subject of the investigation, a JSO release from August stated.
The result of the investigation led to a federal arrest warrant to be issued for Williams, who had been employed by the agency for the last 19 years since March 2004, the release said
According to court documents, between December 2019 and continuing through April 2022, Williams agreed to be a fiduciary for VA funds meant to benefit her disabled family member. During that time, Williams made large cash withdrawals from an account and used it for personal spending until she was removed from the account in April 2022.
“Today’s guilty plea sends a clear message that the VA (Office of Inspector General) will vigorously investigate those who steal from vulnerable veterans who are unable to manage their financial affairs,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “The VA OIG appreciates the support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts to stop fraud within the VA’s Fiduciary Program.”