Jacksonville man accused of pretending to be a blind veteran to claim benefits

A Jacksonville man is accused of pretending to be blind in order to collect VA benefits.

Investigators say they caught Jose Calderon-Fuentes doing yard work and even driving.

Now, he could face a up to 10 years in prison.

This investigation was a combined effort from the Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security, and the FBI.

Investigators say Calderon-Fuentes claimed to be bilaterally blind, so he could collect thousands in benefits.

Those benefits are reserved for people who need it most.

Retired Marine Col. Len Loving is CEO of the Five Star Veterans Center in Jacksonville.

The center houses veterans suffering from homelessness, PTSD and disabilities.

"It’s despicable that somebody would take advantage of a system that is set up to take care of people that have real needs," said Loving.

Investigators say he was given a 100 percent disabled rating by the VA, then applied for a second license in Puerto Rico.

The report says he showed medical proof of 20/50 vision in his license application.

"We have some here at the center that have real needs and they have a hard time getting any type of help from the VA," said Loving. "It’s not that the VA doesn’t want to help, it’s just getting through the process."

From one battle to another – many vets come home to find getting approved for VA benefits is a struggle.

"It was very difficult in that regard in getting through the process," said Loving. "There were a lot of times that you had to go for various types of testing."

That sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 2018.

Cox Media Group