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Press Release

Covington Man Charged with Wire Fraud

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana

NEW ORLEANS - United States Attorney Duane A. Evans, announced that MARC QUIROZ (“QUIROZ”), resident of Covington, Louisiana, was charged by bill of information on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, with one count of wire fraud.

According to the charging document, QUIROZ co-owned and operated a company called VetAttend of Jackson where he purported to provide services to Veterans for home aid and assistance.   

QUIROZ’s co-conspirators, James Thomas Sinyard, Jr., a/k/a Jay Sinyard, and Mary Gigi Sinyard, a/k/a Gigi Sinyard, were charged by bill of information on February 14, 2023.

According to the bill of information, QUIROZ submitted fraudulent affidavits for home aid services provided when he knew that those services were not actually provided.  As part of the scheme to defraud, beginning in or about April 2013 and continuing until at least July 2018, QUIROZ did knowingly devise and intend to devise a scheme to defraud the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (Veterans Affairs).  The purpose of the scheme was to obtain money and property by submitting false affidavits and applications to Veterans Affairs on behalf of veterans and their spouses, claiming that VetAttend had provided home services to the veterans, when in fact, it had not.  During the scheme, Veterans Affairs issued funds to over 300 veterans and/or their surviving spouses from whom QUIROZ fraudulently appropriated monies, without the knowledge of the veterans, totaling approximately $4,065,969.18.

If convicted, QUIROZ faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, up to five years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee per count.

“These charges were brought as a result of the hard work of VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) Special Agents who remain vigilant in investigating all who seek to benefit improperly from programs meant to assist deserving veterans,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Patrick Roche of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s South-Central Field Office.  “The VA OIG thanks the US Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this joint investigation.” 

U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans stated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

The case is being investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.  The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn McHugh, Financial Crimes Unit.

Contact

Shane M. Jones

Public Affairs Officer

United States Attorney's Office, Eastern District of Louisiana

United States Department of Justice

Updated April 13, 2023

Topic
Financial Fraud