Attorney Stole from Mentally Incompetent Military Veterans

Joe Phillips, a 71-year-old attorney, was formerly employed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in Houston. Phillips maintained bank accounts to receive benefits for mentally incompetent military veterans and pay their expenses.

Starting in 2003, Phillips and his wife took more than $2 million of the veterans’ money for their personal use. They’ve been charged with conspiracy, misappropriation by a fiduciary, making materially false statements to a federal agency, and tax fraud. Bail was set for the couple at $100,000 each.

See Brian Rogers, Lawyer, Wife Accused of Stealing from Vets, Houston Chronicle, June 29, 2010.

Special thanks to Wesley Wright (attorney, Houston, TX) for bringing this to my attention.