United States of America v. Dustin Jagger

Cleveland, Ohio, criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with theft of government property.

Dustin Jagger, 41, of Canton, Ohio, and Damarco McKinley, 26, of Cleveland, worked for the Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC), where he used his position as a logistics employee to purchase $198,183.84 worth of iPads, iPhones, and other electronics and goods. Jagger kept some items while reselling others for cash through an online marketplace website. He sold a portion of these items to McKinley, who was stopped on a traffic violation in Indiana while in possession of more than $29,000 worth of electronics that Jagger purchased with the VAMC credit card. McKinley had been on route to Chicago to resell the items. During the investigation into McKinley, federal agents also seized from him:

Apple products including 16 iPhones and 8 iPads purchased with the VAMC credit card
A Glock 43 handgun with one round in the chamber
A loaded magazine
Credit cards in other people’s names
$4,262 in cash

At Jagger’s residence, investigators found additional items that he purchased with his work-issued credit card including speakers, soundbars, adapters, and headphones.

“Any federal employee who abuses their position for personal gain, contributes to the erosion of the public’s trust,” said United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “We will not tolerate such dishonest actions that waste tax dollars and show disrespect for our veterans. We commend the work of VA investigators, which has led to putting a stop to this egregious behavior.”

“These sentences send a message that corrupt VA employees and those who profit from their illegal activities will be rooted out and prosecuted,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office. “These fraudulent activities erode public trust and divert taxpayer money intended for our nation’s deserving veterans. The VA-OIG thanks the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this investigation.”

This case was investigated by Veterans Affairs-Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs Police Department, and the Lake County Indiana Sheriff's Department.

The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Joines for the Northern District of Ohio.

The Defendant was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day custody of the Bureau of Prisons; 3 years supervised release; $100.00 special assessment; $198,183.84 restitution owed, with $29,124.56 joint and several with co-defendant Damarco McKinley in case number 1:25-cr-313-2.