Key takeaways:
- Sarah Jane Cavanaugh was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for posing as a decorated Marine Corps veteran with cancer and fraudulently collecting nearly $300,000 in benefits, charitable contributions, and donations.
- Cavanaugh attended public events in uniform, bought a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star to wear, and was even named commander of a Veterans of Foreign Wars post.
- The sentence serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying the credentials of those claiming to be veterans, and of the consequences of fraudulently posing as a veteran.
A Rhode Island woman has been sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for posing as a decorated Marine Corps veteran with cancer and fraudulently collecting nearly $300,000 in benefits, charitable contributions, and donations.
Sarah Jane Cavanaugh, a former social worker at a Rhode Island veterans’ hospital, was charged with using forged or counterfeited military discharge certificates, wire fraud, and fraudulently holding herself out to be a veteran. She had never served in the U.S. military.
Cavanaugh attended public events in uniform where she spoke about the struggles veterans face, bought a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star to wear, and was even named commander of a Veterans of Foreign Wars post.
In early 2022, Cavanaugh was exposed when a charity she applied to for funds became suspicious and started checking her background. She was then charged with posing as a sick Marine vet and was set to plead guilty.
The Department of Justice said Tuesday that Cavanaugh was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison for her actions. The sentence serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying the credentials of those claiming to be veterans, and of the consequences of fraudulently posing as a veteran.
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