Moss Point woman owes $916K for allegedly filing false reimbursement claims. See details
A Moss Point woman, her hair salon and barber school were ordered to pay $916,392 for alleged fraudulent activity over several years after failing to respond to charges filed against them in October.
U.S. District Judge Halil Orzerdon with the Southern District of Mississippi in Gulfport granted the government triple damages plus interest and penalties in a civil case filed in October against April Tucker Beard and her businesses, April’s Mane Attraction and April’s Mane Attraction Academy.
To date, no criminal charges have been filed in connection with the civil case.
The government alleges Beard and the AMA Academy "knowingly defrauded the United States Department of Veterans Affairs’ Post-9/11 GI Bill education assistance program," according to a news release from the Department of Justice.
In the complaint filed against Beard, the government contends that on numerous occasions between 2016 and 2022, Beard "knowingly made, used, or caused to be made or used, false records or statementsmaterial to a false or fraudulent claim," first by applying for approval from the VA to offer educational courses to veterans through a non-accredited program, then by claiming to instruct the veterans but failing to do so, despite showing attendance records and completion certificates.
In addition, Beard is accused of charging the government between $12,600 and $20,000 more per veteran student for tuition than she did for non-veteran students, which is a violation of the Post-9/11 GI Bill, for a total of $235,734. A jury trial was requested, but since Beard did not respond to the demand for repayment, the government asked the court to grant a default judgment. Court documents do not indicate whether Beard has legal representation.
Attempts to reach Beard for comment were unsuccessful. A phone number listed for the AMA salon rang to a different business. A call to her salon of the same name in Mobile went unanswered.
Through the bill, the VA pays tuition and fees directly to qualifying schools and provides qualifying veteran students a monthly housing allowance and stipend for books and supplies. Veterans also must pay a share of the expenses in order to qualify for the benefit.
“The Post-9/11 GI Bill is an important part of our promise to aid our military veterans and their families for honorably serving our country,” Todd Gee, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi said in a news release. “This type of fraud drains funds from vital veterans’ programs and this office remains committed to holding offenders who abuse and exploit these programs accountable.”
This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Moss Point barber ordered to pay government almost $1 million
