Melissa Diana Simmons was contracted by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide care for an elderly Vietnam War veteran.
Instead, Simmons and her boyfriend, James Patrick Brown, drained more than $100,000 from the victim’s bank account, forged his checks and left him in a state of physical and mental disarray.
On Tuesday, Simmons, 50, from Boones Mill, Va., pleaded guilty to forgery of government checks. Simmons and Brown were both charged in 2025, according to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).
‘Care’ Turns to Fraud
Based on evidence obtained by police and court records, Simmons met the victim, whose name was not released, in May 2022. Simmons had been hired by the VA to provide in-home care for the Vietnam veteran.
However, in December 2022, a red flag came up when the victim began withdrawing large sums of money from his bank account, often by checks written out to Simmons and Brown.
In June 2023, Simmon was fired from her job, but persuaded the victim to relocate to the house she shared with Brown in Boones Mill. About a month later, staff at the victim’s bank grew suspicious as Brown and Simmons frequently visited the bank to withdraw large amounts of money. Bank staffers also noticed the victim’s physical and mental state worsen through time, from “upbeat to hunched over, confused and fearful,” according to a press release.
The fraud scheme allegedly continued well into 2023. In mid-August, Simmons convinced the victim to add her name as a signatory to his bank account. Less than a month after Simmons was added to the account, the veteran lost a reported $30,000 as Simmons and Brown continued making large withdrawals.
By mid-September, with bank employees onto Simmons’ scheme, they demanded she come inside to withdraw funds instead of going through the drive-through. She brought the victim in with her, and the staff was shocked to see his current state. He had burned his nose while using an oxygen tank, smelled like urine and feces, and didn’t know the last time he ate, bathed or went to the local VA medical center.
Staff at the bank convinced the victim to open a new account without Simmons’ permission. As they continued to talk to the veteran, Simmons “grew belligerent,” striking an office window and yelling at employees, prompting the bank to call the police.
Victim Had Dementia
The incident with the police didn’t seem to scare Brown off.
Sometime shortly after, she came to the bank with the victim and inquired about getting his VA benefits and Social Security payments deposited directly into his account. She also wanted the victim to take out between $60,000-$70,000 from his account. Bank staff claimed the victim was confused as to why he was withdrawing the money and appeared worse physically, reeking of urine and feces.
This prompted the Franklin County Adult Protective Services (APS) to open an investigation. Through a mental status exam conducted by APS, results showed he had dementia.
On Nov. 18, 2023, Simmons and Brown called the Roanoke County Fire and Rescue, reporting that the victim was non-responsive. He was taken to Roanoke Memorial Hospital, where doctors learned he was suffering from acute respiratory failure and low oxygen saturation. Testing showed he had methamphetamine in his system despite the veteran having no previous history of using meth, and he couldn’t travel on his own.
While in the hospital recovering from his medical issues, from January to April 2024, Simmons collected four of the victim’s VA benefit payments through the mail, racking up almost $8,000. The indictment states that Simmons forged the veteran’s name on the checks and deposited the payments into his new account. Simmons and Brown allegedly used the victim’s debit card to spend thousands of dollars at a local casino.
On Oct. 22, 2024, Simmons was brought into the VA Office of the Inspector General, where she fessed up to federal agents, saying she had forged the checks and spent the money with Brown while the victim recovered in the hospital.
While this case seems sad and concerning, it appears some good has come from it. In April, the DOJ announced the formation of the Fraud Division, tasked with investigating and prosecuting suspects who commit fraud in the U.S. The division’s creation comes after President Trump formed a task force to eliminate fraud within federal benefit programs.
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