On June 8, 2023, Darold Maxfield, Jr., age 30, from North Little Rock, Arkansas, was sentenced for theft of public money and making a false statement or representation to a department or agency of the United States. Maxfield Jr. pled guilty to the charges earlier this year.
Darold Maxfield, Jr., like his father, served in the military. Maxfield Jr. attended West Point Military Academy. In 2018, in the process of applying for VA benefits, Maxfield Jr. claimed a psychological stressor, or event, occurred in order to qualify for benefits related to a mental health condition. Maxfield Jr. claimed he was present when a cadet at West Point Military Academy died during a field training exercise. He was granted benefits from the Veterans Benefits Administration for a mental health condition, including back pay to 2018.
In May 2020, the Veterans Administration was alerted to potential fraud regarding Maxfield Jr.’s benefits. It was discovered that Maxfield Jr. was, in fact, not present when the cadet died. Meaning Maxfield made a false statement or representation to the Veterans Benefits Administration in order to obtain benefits for a mental health condition.
Additionally, it was discovered that the physician’s signature on a disability benefits questionnaire, or DBQ, was cut and pasted into the report and then submitted as evidence. The physician’s signature was pulled from another application.
Interestingly, Darold Maxfield Sr., the father to Darold Maxfield Jr., is -allegedly- a benefits Coach at the Veterans Benefits Administration Regional Office, or VARO, out of Little Rock and is responsible for over 40 other employees at the VARO that process veteran disability claims and benefits.
In January 2023, Maxfield Jr. pled guilty to his charges and was sentenced to four months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay over $91,000.00 in restitution. Sentencing on June 8, 2023 was handed down by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
