Mississippi man gets 3 years for stealing veteran’s ID

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) – A Mississippi man has been sentenced to three years in prison for stealing the identity of a U.S. military veteran and using it to get more than $130,000 in benefits.

News outlets reported Senior U.S. District Judge Tom S. Lee on Thursday also ordered 56-year-old Tierun Bush of Jackson to pay full restitution to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst says Bush was convicted of aggravated identity theft and theft of government funds and property.

Prosecutors say Bush used the name, Social Security number and other identifiers of the veteran to receive narcotics, medical care, medical equipment and housing help from the VA Department between 2005 and 2018.

Bush is not a military veteran, but was a long-time patient at a VA Medical Center in Jackson.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)