Corey Mizell, formerly of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to four counts of embezzlement by an officer or employee of the United States and one count of mail fraud. In April 2020, Mizell worked at the H. John Heinz III VA Medical Center as an agent cashier helping patients deposit benefits checks and withdraw funds. In January 2021, the sister of a deceased veteran called the VA Police after reviewing the balance in her brother’s patient account. Subsequently, the VA Police opened an investigation into the account activity and questioned Mizell who had accessed the account. He later confessed to fraudulently taking approximately $17,000 from the accounts of three veterans during an interview with the VA OIG. The investigation also revealed Mizell had collected approximately $38,000 in unemployment pandemic benefits from April 2020 until September 2021 despite being employed by the VA through April 2021. His sentencing is scheduled for March 18, 2024. The Department of Labor OIG and VA OIG conducted this investigation.
