BAH Fraud and Travel Voucher Fraud

Aggressive, dedicated, and experienced military defense team fighting for Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Sailors, and Coast Guardsmen all over the world.

In the last several years, the number of BAH or voucher fraud cases have skyrocketed.  Here’s the bottom line: BAH and voucher fraud cases require meticulous attention to detail and a clear understanding of how the military pay and incentive systems work.  Your case may even require the services of a forensic accountant or former military pay specialist acting as an expert witness familiar with the intricate details of how the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) works.  Here at Shewmaker and Shewmaker we have the experience, knowledge, and resources necessary to ensure that you’re not wrongly accused or wrongly convicted of BAH fraud for failing to fill out your paperwork correctly, accepting faulty advice from finance, or confused by DFAS representatives.

Remember, for the Government to win its case against you, it MUST prove more than just your receiving BAH funds to which you were not entitled. The Government must also prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you intended to permanently defraud the government.  In today’s military, we know how complex BAH authorizations and vouchers can be.  It’s no secret that these complex processes can cause service members to make an honest mistake when providing financial information and completing forms.  To make matters worse, it is not unusual for service members to receive incorrect advice from both finance and DFAS personnel who are responsible for assisting in these matters.

Often, the same service member who makes an honest financial mistake will not only be charged with fraud but also with making false official statements.  Typically, these two offenses go hand-in-hand, and  this is an easy way for the military prosecutor to “stack the deck” and scare you into accepting a deal to plead guilty.  In a false official statement case, the Government must prove that the service member signed the financial document, completed the financial form, and submitted the form with the intent to deceive the military. In other words, it is not enough for the military prosecutor to simply convince the panel (military jury) that you completed the form incorrectly – they must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you intended to deceive, which is much more difficult to prove. Simply put: Making a simple error on a voucher or BAH authorization is not a crime if it is the result of an honest mistake done without the intent to deceive the military.

Often these types of allegations are complex, diverse, and very difficult to comprehend.  We have the experience, dedication, and resources to simplify the process, understand your case, and zealously execute your defense at trial.