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NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that SLOANE SIGNAL-DEBOSE, age 51, a resident of Slidell, pled guilty to misappropriating funds from a veteran while SIGNAL was the veteran’s fiduciary.

The government filed a one-count bill of information that charged SIGNAL with misappropriation by a veteran’s fiduciary, in violation of Title 38, United States Code, Section 6101. According to court documents, from 2016 until 2018 SIGNAL was a fiduciary for a veteran who needed assistance with the management of his affairs, and controlled the veteran’s finances and bank accounts. During that time, SIGNAL took over $100,000 from the veteran’s accounts, routed it through bank accounts in her own name, ultimately using it as the down payment on a home for SIGNAL that was only in SIGNAL’s name. SIGNAL also used additional funds from the veteran to pay contractors working on SIGNAL’s home. SIGNAL then submitted false records to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs to hide her misuse of the veteran’s funds.

SIGNAL faces up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release after release from prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain to SIGNAL or the gross loss to any victims, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. Judge Sarah S. Vance set the sentencing hearing for February 15, 2023.

U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas D. Moses is in charge of the prosecution.