TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Tampa veteran was ordered to pay thousands of dollars and serve time in federal prison after he attempted to steal government funds, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Barry Wayne Hoover, 51 of Tampa, was ordered to serve 27 months in federal prison and pay $429,568.09 in restitution for making false statements and stealing government funds from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
According to evidence, Hoover, who is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, exaggerated the extent of his visual impairment to receive VA disability benefits to which he was not entitled to.
Officials said Hoover specifically manipulated the results of his peripheral vision tests to falsy show that he was legally blind.
Hoover made other false statements to the VA regarding his ability to drive and perform other activities. Based on his manipulated test results and false statements, the VA found Hoover 100% disabled and awarded him significant monetary benefits.
According to the DOJ, VA, agents observed Hoover driving a car, a three-wheeled motorcycle, an ATV, and a boat. He was also captured mowing his lawn, operating a chainsaw, hunting, fishing, scuba diving, and performing other tasks.
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message that veterans who defraud the VA by exaggerating their disabilities will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Southeast Field Office. “VA’s disability programs are established to justly compensate deserving veterans and the VA OIG is committed to investigating those who would exploit these programs.”