A former practical nurse at the Wilmington VA Medical Center was sentenced in federal court to three years of probation for taking funds from a disabled veteran.
Alexander Kudla, of Millville, NJ pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud related to the theft of more than $22,000 from a disabled veteran.
According to publicly filed documents and statements made in court, Kudla, 40, was previously a licensed practical nurse at the medical center.
A patient requested help withdrawing funds from an ATM due to the patient’s physical limitations. According to the documents, Kudla withdrew funds from the victim’s bank account for Kudla’s personal use more than 40 times between February and July 2015.
As part of his sentence, Kudla was ordered to pay full restitution of $22,320 to the victim, with $4,000 due immediately.
Kudla is no longer employed with the VAMC or with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“We take allegations of employee misconduct very seriously, especially when those allegations are related to the welfare of our Veterans. We are grateful to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting this case and we will continue to be vigilant, ensuring Veterans receive care and treatment in a safe and caring environment,” said Vince Kane, director of the Wilmington VA Medical Center.
“It is particularly painful when an employee entrusted by VA to care for veterans abuses that trust for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Donna L. Neves, Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. “It’s why VA OIG pursues cases like this, so veterans can feel safe in all aspects of their care.”
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Veterans Affairs Police Service.
