veteran – Law Enforcement, Military, and Terrorism News

Former VA Hospital Nursing Assistant Admits to Murdering Seven Veterans and Assault with Intent to Commit Murder of an Eighth

A former nursing assistant pled guilty today in federal court here to murder and assault charges in the deaths of eight veterans at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in Clarksburg, West Virginia, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell announced.

Reta Mays, 46, of Harrison County, West Virginia, pled guilty today to seven counts of second degree murder in the deaths of veterans Robert Edge, Sr., Robert Kozul, Archie Edgell, George Shaw, W.A.H., Felix McDermott, and Raymond Golden.

She pled guilty to one count of assault with Intent to commit murder” involving the death of veteran R.R.P.

“In today’s plea agreement, the defendant has admitted to actions that ended the lives of several military veterans who served our country honorably. Our investigation never lost sight of each of these lives and the sacrifices these men made for their country. The investigative work and the time it took to do it was always done with an eye towards honoring these men. Though we can’t bring these men back because of her evil acts, we hope the conclusion of the investigation and guilty plea helps ease the pain of the victims’ families,” said Powell. “I want to thank the incredible work by the FBI, the VA-OIG, the West Virginia State Police, the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force and our prosecution team. I also want to especially thank Attorney General Barr, and the families of the victims who never wavered in their support of this investigation. We look forward to the conclusion of this matter at the sentencing, where we will be seeking the maximum penalty.”

Mays was employed as a nursing assistant at the VAMC, working the night shift during the same period of time veterans in her care died of hypoglycemia while being treated at the hospital.

OIG Statement on Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia

Nursing assistants at the VAMC are not qualified or authorized to administer any medication to patients, including insulin. Mays admitted to administering insulin to several patients with the intent to cause their deaths.

“These cases are tragic and heart breaking,” said Veterans Affairs Inspector General Michael J. Missal. “I thank the VA OIG agents and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to ensure justice was served and that the victims’ families have some measure of closure. They are in our thoughts and prayers as we work with VA to help prevent anything like this from ever happening again.”

“When you break the trust you’re given as a medical professional and break the law, there are consequences,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Christman. “This was a lengthy and thorough investigation with hundreds of interviews, extensive medical and administrative records to review and forensic testing that needed to be done. These eight Veterans deserved respect and honor. They served our country and we all owe them a debt of gratitude. They didn’t deserve to die at the hands of a nursing assistant who intentionally inflicted pain on them and their families. I commend the work of my agents and our law enforcement partners with the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General.”

Mays faces up to life in prison for each count of second-degree murder and faces up to 20 years in prison for assault with intent to commit murder.

Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod J. Douglas and Brandon S. Flower are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated. The West Virginia State Police and the Greater Harrison Drug & Violent Crimes Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, assisted.

U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.

Blogs to Follow:

Justice.gov (July 2020) Former VA Hospital Nursing Assistant Admits to Murdering Seven Veterans and Assault with Intent to Commit Murder of an Eighth

Top Enlisted Advisor to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joins Forces with FitOps to Fight Veteran Suicide Amid COVID-19

Comes as mental health check-ins and unemployment increase among veterans FitOps helps veterans find purpose through fitness

The former top enlisted advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has joined forces with the FitOps Foundation to help prevent and end veteran suicide – an epidemic that has become more severe amid COVID-19.

John Wayne Troxell, who for the past four years served as the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (SEAC) and senior non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Armed Forces, will lead the FitOps strategic advisors board. FitOps helps veterans find purpose through fitness by training and certifying them as elite personal trainers at its camp in Arkansas.

“Even before COVID-19, too many veterans lost their reason for being, to serve others and struggled to transition to civilian life. Now the need is even greater,” John Wayne Troxell said. “Ending the veteran suicide epidemic is my new mission, and few organizations have had the impact FitOps has had in saving lives.”

In his new role, Troxell will help the foundation with its current efforts as veterans are acutely feeling the effects of the coronavirus. More than 1 million veterans filed for unemployment benefits in April, remote mental health appointments have skyrocketed, and reports warn that many industries that employ veterans could be more vulnerable to layoffs. An average of 20 veterans take their own lives each day, 1.5 times higher than the national average.

Troxell will also work to help FitOps reach service members who plan to separate from the military and equip them with training prior, so that when they hit the ground as a civilian, they are equipped to immediately serve their communities again, this time as personal trainers and coaches.

“We are very fortunate that SEAC Troxell has joined forces with us. As someone who gave 38 years of distinguished service and rose to the very top of the military, for him to make his next mission helping veterans find purpose again through fitness, sends a serious message,” FitOps Founder and veteran Matt Hesse said.

“I have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of knowing one’s purpose and using fitness to pursue it. Our mission is clear: We will not rest until we solve the veteran suicide epidemic.”

Before his retirement in December 2019, Troxell advised the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of Defense for four years on all matters involving joint and combined total force integration, utilization, health of the force and joint development for enlisted personnel. Troxell enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1982.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, FitOps has helped its graduates transition to virtual fitness sessions so they can still provide personal training sessions and classes to clients.

The FitOps Foundation was created in 2016 by Hesse and since has graduated hundreds of veterans with a current waitlist of 2,200. At the month-long camps, veterans learn exercise physiology and business skills to become Certified Veteran Fitness Operatives (CVFOs). After graduation, through partnerships across the country, FitOps helps their CVFOs get jobs in the fitness industry at clubs such as Performix House and 24 Hour Fitness. The graduate network extends as far as Alaska and Japan. CVFOs also receive counseling and transition assistance as they continue on their journey to civilian life from military service.

For more information on the FitOps Foundation, please visit www.fitops.org.

Contact: FitOps Communications Alexandra Hesse, ahesse@corrjensen.com /970 376 8155

FitOps PR Newswire (May 2020) Top Enlisted Advisor to Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joins Forces with FitOps

Mother of Navy veteran who committed suicide files $8.2 million claim against the VA

In April of 2019, Navy veteran Gary Pressley shot himself in the chest, which ended his life due to the extreme pain he was in, according to legal documents 13WMAZ obtained. As a result, Pressley’s mother, Rhonda Machelle Wilson, has filed a claim against the VA for more than $8.2 million.

Pressley served in the US Navy and was medically discharged in 2012 after a car accident.

13WMAZ reports:

“I just wish that they would have found him and stopped him, locked him up, did what they had to do,” Wilson said.

Back in 2019, 28-year-old Gary Pressley died by suicide after shooting himself in the chest in the parking lot of the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center, in Dublin, Ga.

Documents 13WMAZ obtained say he left a suicide note saying, “This is what happens by punishing already-suffering people.” The back of the note said, “Thank you for the release.”

“It was just a battle with the medication, the doctors — I mean, I watched him cry,” Wilson said.

Soffe Men’s 3 Pack-USA Poly Cotton Military Tee

His sister, Lisa Johnson, said she called the Veterans Affairs Department to report that her brother was threatening suicide just moments before he killed himself, 13WMAZ reported.

After watching her son lose his life, Rhonda Wilson filed a wrongful death claim against the Veterans Administration for $8,250,006. One document says the VA referred Pressley to a pain specialist in Stockbridge who got his pain under control, but the doctor stopped treating veterans because the VA owed her hundreds of thousands of dollars.

“Currently, I’m dealing with four of these different cases actively,” Attorney Peter Bertling said.