Four Co-Conspirators Sentenced After Pleading Guilty to Wire Fraud

NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JAMES THOMAS SINYARD, a/k/a Jay Sinyard (“J. SINYARD”), MARY GIGI SINYARD a/k/a Gigi Sinyard (“M. SINYARD”), JOHN SUTTON (“SUTTON”), and MARC QUIROZ (“QUIROZ”), were sentenced after each previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.

According to the bills of information, J. SINYARD, M. SINYARD, SUTTON, and QUIROZ co-owned and operated companies called VetAttend of Jackson, LLC, and VetAttend Professional Services, LLC of Mandeville, Louisiana, where they purported to provide home aid and assistance services to veterans .   

On December 5, 2023, J. SINYARD was sentenced to 6 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. M. SINYARD was sentenced to one month of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

On December 11, 2023, SUTTON was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.

On December 14, 2023, QUIROZ was sentenced to 17 months of imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Additionally, J. SINYARD, M. SINYARD, SUTTON, and QUIROZ each was ordered to pay a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.

According to the bill of information that described the fraudulent scheme of J. SINYARD and M. SINYARD, the duo submitted more than one hundred fraudulent application affidavits for veterans and/or their surviving spouses, to the Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”), falsely indicating that VetAttend of Jackson was already providing services to these veterans. As a result, from approximately August 2014 to approximately December 2020, the VA issued funds to over 70 veterans and/or their surviving spouses from whom VetAttend of Jackson fraudulently mis-appropriated approximately $2,136,329.68.

According to the bills of information for SUTTON and QUIROZ, they submitted fraudulent affidavits for home aid services allegedly provided, knowing that those services were not actually provided. More particularly, as part of their fraud scheme, from approximately April 2013 until at least July 2018, SUTTON and QUIROZ submitted fraudulent affidavits and applications to the VA on behalf of veterans and their spouses, falsely claiming that VetAttend had actually provided home services to the veterans. As a result,, the VA issued approximately $4,065,969.18 to over 300 veterans and/or their surviving spouses that SUTTON and QUIROZ  mis-appropriated, all without the knowledge of the veterans .

“These sentencings send a clear message that those who would exploit veterans to commit fraud will be investigated and held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s South-Central Field Office. “The VA OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this case.”

The case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.

The prosecution of the case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn McHugh of the Financial Crimes Unit.