Criminal Investigative Updates

Michael Duane Dyson of Tallahassee, Florida was indicted for theft of government funds. This is one of 46 indictments issued in Central Florida during the government shutdown.

Michel Duane Dyson, of Tallahassee, Florida, who misrepresented himself as a decorated US Army combat veteran despite having never served in the military, pleaded guilty in federal court to theft of government funds for his fraudulent receipt of Veterans Affairs benefits. Court records show that in April 2022, Dyson fraudulently applied for VA benefits claiming to have actively served in the Army and in receipt of both the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star medal. As a result of his fraudulent misrepresentations, Dyson was able to secure VA benefits in the form of medical treatment provided either through VA medical facilities or contracted medical providers valued at approximately $114,527. Dyson further attempted to fraudulently obtain additional VA housing benefits, at which point his deception was uncovered. Records in the investigation revealed that Dyson had similarly attempted to obtain VA benefits in the Boston, Massachusetts area in 2013, but had been denied. The VA OIG investigated this case.

Mikhail Wicker, of Dilworth, Minnesota, was charged with defrauding the VA by falsely claiming to have been a decorated veteran of the US Marine Corps and claiming that he suffered from combat-related injuries that qualified him for disability and other financial benefits. Wicker submitted forged and falsified documents in support of his benefits application to the VA, falsely claiming that he had been a prisoner of war during a deployment in Iraq in 2005. As a result, Wicker received more than $100,000 in benefits, which he was not entitled to because he had never served in the military. Wicker is charged with one count of wire fraud, one count of false military discharge certificates, one count of fraudulent use of military medals, and one count of theft of government funds. The VA OIG, Department of Defense OIG, and Social Security Administration OIG investigated this case with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Dilworth Police Department.

Sharon Toney-Finch of Newburg, New York, was charged with wire fraud, theft of government funds, stolen valor, and altering military discharge paperwork. Allegedly, Toney-Finch engaged in a scheme in which she misappropriated donations for military charities and falsely nominated herself as a Purple Heart recipient to receive disability benefits to which she was not entitled. Between July 2019 and September 2023, she defrauded donors to her charitable organization by falsely claiming that the donated funds would be spent solely to support homeless military veterans, instead spending the funds on personal expenses. This case was investigated by the VA OIG and FBI.

Sharon Toney-Finch of Newburgh, New York, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for a scheme to defraud military veterans’ charities and falsely claiming that she was a Purple Heart recipient. Toney-Finch is an Army veteran and founder of the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) charity. Her foundation reportedly strived to raise awareness of premature births, offer assistance to premature babies and their families, and provide a place to stay or transportation while the babies were in the neonatal intensive care unit. The foundation also claimed to help homeless and low-income military service veterans in need of living assistance. In fact, she helped virtually no veterans and, instead, used the money donated—approximately $85,000—for her own benefit, including to pay for a vehicle, gym membership, travel, meals, and other personal expenses. She pleaded guilty to charges of wire fraud and making a false claim of valor in March 2025. In addition to incarceration, Toney-Finch was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $84,000 in restitution and $85,000 in forfeiture. The VA OIG, FBI, Army Criminal Investigation Division, and Orange County Sheriff’s Office in New York investigated this case.