Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Unlawfully Receiving Gratuities While Salaried Federal Employee

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Timothy Lane Crowder, 44, of Huntington, was sentenced on November 3, 2025, to five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $24,525.33 in restitution for unlawful receipt of gratuities. Crowder admitted to receiving approximately $24,525.33 from disability benefits awarded to veterans while he was a salaried employee of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

According to court documents and statements made in court, between September 17, 2020, and July 26, 2023, Crowder was a Veterans Service Representative in Huntington when he assisted 13 veterans with preparing their claims for retroactive disability benefits. As part of his guilty plea, Crowder admitted that he received gratuities of approximately 10 to 20 percent of their awarded benefits from the veterans once their claims were approved.

Federal law bars a federal employee from receiving gratuities or shares of any interest in a claim against the United States. As a Veterans Service Representative employed by the VBA, it was illegal for Crowder to receive a gratuity from veterans he assisted with filing claims. Crowder admitted that he both knowingly and willfully assisted the veterans while knowing that the gratuities represented a share of their awarded disability benefits.

United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG).

United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-187.

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