GR man imprisoned for defrauding VA

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - A one-time Eagle Scout was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison for falsely claiming to be a United States veteran in order to get the Veterans Affairs to cover the cost of his treatment for prostate cancer.

Jeffrey Redmond received nearly $94,000 in treatment from the VA after he submitted a false application - getting help from the VA -- claiming he served in Vietnam. In the time he claimed he was overseas, the defoliant Agent Orange was used, a chemical now linked to prostate cancer and other illnesses.

Though he was at one time part of the Naval Officers Training program in Pensacola, Redmond, 56, never served in the military.

The 1971 graduate of East Grand Rapids High School, who also earned Bachelor's degrees from Michigan State University and Davenport College, Redmond has held a variety of jobs over the years and is currently working with the United States Census Bureau.

"I am very sad and upset about all this, and certainly do not want to be a thief, embezzler, or criminal," Redmond wrote to Judge Robert Holmes Bell before his sentencing. "I realize and accept that I received the VA payments wrongly, and that I dishonor those veterans who truly qualify."

Judge Bell said he hoped Redmond's prison sentence would send a message to others that defrauding veterans is not acceptable. He also ordered Redmond to repay the entire amount of $93,764.