COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — Authorities in Florida arrested Richard Rompala, 64, founder of Senior Veterans Administration Services (SVAS), after a Cuyahoga County grand jury in Ohio indicted him and four SVAS employees for allegedly defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) out of $20 million.
Rompala was taken into custody by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office following the indictment on Tuesday. He now faces 19 criminal charges, including money laundering, grand theft, and conspiracy, according to the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.
Originally established as a charitable organization, SVAS allegedly contacted veterans under the guise of offering free services. Prosecutors say the group forged documents to falsely qualify veterans for benefits they weren’t eligible to receive. These falsified claims were then submitted to the VA.
While the VA did issue financial benefits, SVAS reportedly withheld a large share of the money before distributing the remainder to the veterans, if at all.
The fraudulent activity triggered a multi-agency investigation involving the VA Office of Inspector General, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, and the Ohio Department of Commerce. The case falls under Operation No VA SCAMs, a nationwide initiative targeting VA-related fraud.
In addition to Rompala and the organization itself, four other SVAS employees were indicted:
Carolina Riemer, 72
Karen Kral, 47
Gina Ayala, 61
Mary Lou Griffin, 68
“These defendants rolled the dice believing they could get away with it,” said Prosecutor Michael O’Malley. “Thanks to the diligent work of our law enforcement partners, they lost the bet.”
The full list of charges against Rompala includes:
7 counts: filing false or fraudulent returns
3 counts: prohibited charitable practices
2 counts: engaging in corrupt activity
2 counts: tampering with records
1 count each: conspiracy, aggravated theft, telecom fraud, money laundering, grand theft
Rompala and the co-defendants will be arraigned at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center at a later date.
