Timothy Lane Crowder, a 44-year-old resident of Huntington, West Virginia, has been sentenced to five months in prison and three years of supervised release after admitting to unlawfully receiving gratuities while employed as a salaried federal worker. In addition to the prison term, Crowder was ordered to pay $24,525.33 in restitution.
According to court documents and statements made during proceedings, Crowder worked as a Veterans Service Representative for the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from September 17, 2020, to July 26, 2023. During this period, he assisted 13 veterans with preparing claims for retroactive disability benefits. As part of his guilty plea, Crowder acknowledged receiving gratuities ranging from approximately 10 to 20 percent of the awarded benefits from these veterans after their claims were approved.
Federal law prohibits federal employees from accepting gratuities or shares in any claim against the United States. Crowder admitted that he knowingly accepted these payments while being aware that they constituted a share of the veterans’ awarded disability benefits.
United States Attorney Moore Capito announced the sentencing and recognized the investigative efforts by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers handed down the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.
Further details about this case can be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and through PACER by searching Case No. 3:24-cr-187.
