New Kensington man accused of taking more than $150K in VA benefits
A federal grand jury has indicted a New Kensington man accused of taking money intended for a Veterans Administration beneficiary and using it to buy a diamond ring and a truck and make payments on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, U.S. Attorney Scott Brady said Wednesday.
Andrew Ziacik, 57, of Earl Avenue, was charged with one count of misappropriating U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs beneficiary funds.
He is accused of making $25,000 in unauthorized ATM cash withdrawals over a four-year period from the bank account of a VA beneficiary for whom Ziacik was appointed to oversee.
Justice Department officials said that between July 2013 and late 2017, Ziacik also transferred about $135,000 in VA benefits to his personal bank accounts. Federal prosecutors said Ziacik also failed to maintain accurate records and receipts related to the beneficiary’s funds, even after the VA initiated a formal accounting inquiry.
Authorities say the purchases were all made in violation of Ziacik’s fiduciary agreement with the VA. If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Court records do not list an attorney for Ziacik, who could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.
Patrick Varine is a TribLive reporter covering Delmont, Export and Murrysville. He is a Western Pennsylvania native and joined the Trib in 2010 after working as a reporter and editor with the former Dover Post Co. in Delaware. He can be reached at pvarine@triblive.com.
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