Alleged scammer siphoned millions meant for vets
A one-time fugitive is headed to trial on charges of masterminding a $100 million multi-state fraud under the guise of helping Navy veterans.
The defendant headed to trial Monday calls himself Bobby Thompson, but authorities identified him as Harvard-trained lawyer and former military intelligence officer John Donald Cody, 67.
He was arrested last year in Portland, Ore., after two years on the run.
He's charged with defrauding people who donated to a reputed charity for Navy veterans, the United States Navy Veterans Association based in Tampa, Fla.
The alleged fraud spanned 41 states, including up to $2 million in Ohio. Authorities said little, if any, of the money collected by the charity was used to benefit veterans.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations went to political contributions instead of to veterans, giving the fugitive access to the top echelons of power. While wanted by the FBI, Cody, aka Thompson, had his photo taken twice with President George W. Bush.
more at: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/09/30/20757037-alleged-scammer-siphoned-millions-meant-for-vets?lite
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