SAN DIEGO (FOX 5\/KUSI) \u2014\u00a0A former healthcare worker at U.S. Customs and Border Protection detention facilities in San Diego County pleaded guilty to fraud in federal court Thursday.<\/p>\n
Neery Velazquez admitted that while he worked for a government contractor, he submitted almost $250,000 in false travel claims for reimbursement.<\/p>\n
The Department of Justice said in a news release that contractor employees are able to request reimbursement for their lodging, meals and expenses when they travel more than 50 miles from home for work.<\/p>\n
Velazquez was hired in January 2020 to work as a traveling contractor for CBP away from his home in Las Vegas. In 2021, he moved to San Diego permanently and was no longer eligible for reimbursements, officials said.<\/p>\n
According to the plea agreement, between 2021 and 2024, Velazquez submitted about 35 monthly travel claims and said that he was falsely entitled to reimbursement for meals, lodging and expenses.<\/p>\n
He also admitted to forging documents, including a fake lease, to inflate his monthly expenses.<\/p>\n
Officials said Velazquez submitted about $244,019.48 in false claims, $181,082.85 of which was reimbursed by CBP before they noticed the discrepancies.<\/p>\n
The case was part of an investigation led by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General and several CBP offices.<\/p>\n
Investigators found that nearly a third of the contractor\u2019s 100 employees with traveling status in the San Diego area had committed some form of travel benefits fraud, amounting to more than $1.59 million in false claims.<\/p>\n
CBP reimbursed the claims but later withheld payments to the contractor to make up for the losses, officials said. The Department of Justice said the investigation resulted in a reduction in travel claims from the contractor.<\/p>\n
Velazquez pleaded guilty to one count of false claim and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14.<\/p>\n
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