A former clinical director at Tucson's veterans hospital pleaded guilty on Thursday to embezzling more than $365,000 from the hospital between 2002 and 2006.
Connie Sue Wilkinson, 54, of Tucson, used her government credit card to bill fake charges to a defunct nursing organization and bought nearly $50,000 worth of gift certificates online. She then pocketed the cash or spent it on clothes and jewelry, said a news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Wilkinson also cashed nearly $12,000 worth of checks payable to the VA and used her position to have another $62,000 in checks made payable to her, the news release said.
Wilkinson was the clinical director of education, training and development for the local VA.
Linda Reynolds, assistant director of the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, said the irregularities that led to charges against Wilkinson came to light during a routine audit of VA finances in 2006.
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Upon noticing suspicious financial activity, the hospital contacted the FBI to request an investigation, Reynolds said in an interview Thursday. The VA's inspector general also was involved in the inquiry.
Wilkinson resigned not long afterward, Reynolds said.
The U.S. Attorney's Office said Wilkinson devised several schemes to bilk taxpayers. The one that netted her the most money — more than $244,000 — involved using a government credit card to pay off bogus billings from an agency she knew was no longer active — the Southern Arizona Nursing and Staff Development Organization.
"She used the name of the organization to submit charges to the government for goods or services that were actually provided by VA employees," the news release said.
Wilkinson pleaded guilty to mail fraud and wire fraud, which carry maximum penalties of a $250,000 fine or 20 years in prison, or both.
She also pleaded guilty to theft of government funds, a charge with a maximum punishment of a $250,000 fine, 10 years in prison, or both.
Wilkinson is to be sentenced Dec. 11 in U.S. District Court in Tucson.
