Couple Accused of Stealing $2M From Veterans
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Houston couple was indicted on allegations that they conspired to steal $2 million from military veterans, MyFoxHouston.com reported.
Former lawyer Joe Phillips, 71, and Dorothy Phillips, 70, turned themselves in to authorities on Tuesday after a Houston grand jury slapped the couple with a list of charges that include conspiracy, misappropriation of a fiduciary, making materially false statements to a federal agency and tax fraud.
Joe Phillips used his clout as a lawyer to get appointed the legal guardian and fiduciary for a number of veterans deemed "incompetent," according to a Texas Attorney General's Office statement. Dorothy Phillips acted as her husband's legal assistant and office manager at his law firm.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The couple is accused of transferring money from the veterans' accounts to a personal account. The alleged scheme is believed to have run from January 2003 to February 2008.
The tax fraud charge carries a maximum potential sentence of three years in prison while every other individual offense carries a maximum five-year prison sentence.
If found guilty, the Phillipses face up to a $250,000 fine and restitution.
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