The Department of Justice alleges that the woman improperly collected Department of Veterans Affairs benefits from June 1991 through August 2026.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Jacksonville woman allegedly received nearly $400,000 in improper benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs over 35 years, according to an announcement Friday from the Department of Justice.
Federal prosecutors identified the defendant as 63-year-old Gail Starks. Her indictment alleges that she took $397,120 in VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits intended to support a surviving spouse between June 1991 and August 2026.
Starks faces two federal charges: theft of government money or property and making a false statement to a federal agency.
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According to the DOJ, Starks “knowingly and willfully” collected the benefits while falsely telling a VA employee that she was unmarried. Investigators later determined that she was married, prosecutors said.
Starks was arrested on Oct. 7, 2026. Court records show that she pleaded not guilty to both charges.
If convicted, Starks could receive a maximum sentence of 15 years in federal prison and be required to forfeit the money she allegedly obtained.