U.S. Army Financial Counselor Charged with Defrauding Gold Star Families
A Monmouth County, New Jersey, financial counselor with the U.S. Army and major in the U.S. Army Reserves who allegedly defrauded two dozen Gold Star families has been indicted.
Caz Craffy, aka Carz Craffey, 41, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, is charged by indictment with six counts of wire fraud and one count each of securities fraud, making false statements in a loan application, committing acts furthering a personal financial interest, and making false statements to a federal agency. Craffy is expected to make his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni at the Trenton Federal Courthouse.
“Stealing from Gold Star families whose loved ones made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our nation is a shameful crime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “As alleged in the indictment, the defendant in this case used his position as an Army financial counselor to defraud Gold Star families, steal their money, and enrich himself. Predatory conduct that targets the families of fallen American service members will be met with the full force of the Justice Department.”
“The families of our fallen service members have laid the dearest sacrifice on the altar of freedom,” said U.S. Attorney Phillip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “These Gold Star families deserve our utmost respect and compassion, as well as some small measure of financial security from a grateful nation. They must be off-limits for fraudsters. But, as the indictment alleges, this defendant took advantage of his role as an Army financial counselor to prey upon these families, using lies and deception to steer their investments in a way that would make him money. There is no room for those who seek to rip off families of fallen servicemembers to make a buck. We will use every means at our disposal to ensure that those who defraud military families are held accountable.”
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-army-financial-counselor-charged-defrauding-gold-star-families