Bradenton Man Sentenced For Pretending To Be Blind To Steal Money From The Department Of Veterans Affairs

Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Doyle Mullins, Jr. (71, Bradenton) to nine months of home detention and five years of probation for theft of government funds. As part of his sentence, the Court also entered a money judgment against him in the amount of $583,485.74, which constitutes the proceeds of the theft from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Mullins pleaded guilty on October 16, 2017.

According to court documents, from approximately 1995 through 2017, Mullins, a veteran of the Vietnam War, repeatedly lied to the Department of Veterans Affairs by falsely claiming that he was totally and permanently blind and that he was unable to drive, work, or perform household tasks. As a result, for more than 20 years, Mullins has obtained thousands of dollars per month in recurring disability payments from the government, grants from the VA for a car and adaptive housing, and medical benefits payments for his wife. During the course of their investigation, law enforcement agents observed Mullins regularly driving, mowing his lawn, running errands, and banking.

This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan K. Kistler.