Investigations

On November 25, 2019, a probable cause affidavit was filed in Bloomington, Indiana, charging Alexander Singleton with welfare fraud and theft of Government funds. He was arrested by the Monroe County (Indiana) Sheriff's Department the following day. Singleton—a supervisory aviation technical specialist at FAA’s Air Traffic Control Center in Memphis, Tennessee—allegedly fraudulently obtained approximately $99,498.43 in veterans benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

 

This investigation began after the VA’s Indianapolis Regional Office discovered that Singleton had applied for and received Individual Unemployability (IU) benefits while he was employed full-time as a Federal employee. Specifically, in April 2008, he allegedly submitted a false IU claim to the VA, indicating he had last worked full-time on July 15, 2007. In coordination with the VA, Social Security Administration, and Department of the Interior’s National Business Center, DOT-OIG determined that Singleton actually had been a full-time FAA employee since March 2, 2008, and thus was never eligible for IU benefits.

 

Singleton also allegedly provided additional false documents and statements to the VA in support of his claim. As a result, the VA paid him more than $99,000 that he was ineligible to receive.

 

DOT-OIG is conducting this investigation with VA-OIG.

 

Note: Indictments, informations, and criminal complaints are only accusations by the Government. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.