Allegations of mismanaged money inside a St. Johns County VFW

According to an investigative report by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), an eight-month probe found discrepancies in how Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2391 handled its finances.

A former member told Action News Jax he discovered that thousands of dollars in cash went missing.

Fearing backlash, the man asked that we not show his face, but we did see records confirming he was a member.

“There are no books, no one is keeping track and it’s impossible to walk in there and take charge of this and know what is going on,” he said.

Before resigning, a former quartermaster admitted that the books hadn’t been balanced for years, according to the 36-page report.

The FDLE subpoenaed her bank records, finding that between 2012 and 2017 she deposited more than $23,000 in post checks into her own bank account.

Page 28 of the report states that a former commander deposited close to $50,000 in cash from 2014 to 2017; there were also monthly reimbursements for expenses from the VFW account.

According to the FDLE, there are 12 gaming machines at the post.

Sixty percent of the income from the machines went to the VFW and 40 percent went to the operator-- Coleman Entertainment and Music.

We also obtained a record of inspection by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

In the comments section of the document, it says, "The machines on the premises may violate the gambling prohibition of chapter 849."

Ultimately, the FDLE investigation exposed questionable expenditures and cash withdrawals from the VFW VyStar bank account but concluded there was “insufficient evidence to determine the presence of criminal activity to the standard required to sustain continued criminal inquiry.”

The FDLE stated because there were no checks and balances, it was impossible to prove loss or theft from the VFW accounts.

VFW Department of Florida is satisfied with the FDLE investigation. We support there was no charges or wrong doing find by the FDLE nor are we surprised there was nothing found.

Cox Media Group