Vietnam Veteran's VA Caregiver Pleads Guilty After Stealing More Than $100,000

Published Jun 27, 2026, 3:00 AM EDT

Defendants allegedly persuaded victim to make large withdraws from bank account, leaving him confused and physically damaged.

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Published Jun 27, 2026, 3:00 AM EDT

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).