Veritas News Network $100 Million Charity Fraud Trial Begins in Ohio

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$100 Million Charity Fraud Case Begins in Ohio

By: Derek // News Briefs, US News

Testimony is expected to begin today in the fraud trial of Bobby Thompson, the accused mastermind behind a $100 million multistate defrauding of Navy veterans under the guise of a reputed charity, the United States Navy Veterans Association based in Tampa.

A jury has been selected and arguments are expected to commence on Monday.

Lawyering for the state of Ohio, attorney Brad Tommario alleged that the 67-year-old defendant is not Bobbby Thompson but rather a Harvard-trained lawyer and former military intelligence officer known as John Donald Cody. While Tommario outlined Thompson/Cody as a blatant thief who stole nearly $3 million from Ohio donors alone, the defense went to great lengths to illustrate the defendant’s exhaustive and entirely legal charity work.

Neither side seemed interested in the plea deal suggested by the judge, even though Thompson/Cody could spend the next 40 years in prison if convicted. The judge also rejected a renewed defense request to hear testimony from leading Ohio Republicans, including U.S. House Speaker John Boehner. The intent is to show that the defendant has made it a habit to give generous and entirely legal gifts to politicians.

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine says subpoenas for politicians’ testimony are a waste of time, and that the state can prove its case without exploring that topic. (Derek Dowell – VNN) (Image: Flickr | Official U.S. Navy Imagery)