Jacksonville woman charged with stealing $397K in VA benefits for over 35 years

A Jacksonville woman has been charged with stealing federal benefits and lying to a federal agency about her marital status, according to an indictment.Gail Starks, 63, is accused of collecting Department of Veterans Affairs Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits from June 1991 through August 2026 while knowingly and willfully concealing that she was married. The indictment alleges she told a VA employee on Aug. 11 that she was not married.If convicted on all counts, Starks faces up to 15 years in federal prison. The government is also seeking forfeiture of $397,120, which prosecutors say represents the proceeds of the alleged theft.The case was investigated by the VA Office of Inspector General and will be prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson M. Story.