Mercer County Man Admits to Fraudulently Obtaining Over $256,000 in Veterans Benefits

TRENTON, N.J. - A Mercer County, New Jersey man admitted that he defrauded the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs by improperly obtaining over $256,000.00 in program benefits, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.

Mark Stratton, 67, of Lawrence Township, New Jersey, pled guilty on September 25, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with theft of public money.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs provided disability benefits to Stratton's father, which passed to Stratton's mother after his father died. Those benefits were paid monthly through electronic funds into a joint bank account held by both Stratton and his mother. After Stratton's mother died in 2008, the benefits should have been terminated; however, Stratton did not notify the Department of Veterans Affairs about his mother's death. Instead, he made withdrawals of the disability benefits for his own personal use. Through a joint investigation by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, law enforcement determined that between 2008 and 2025, Stratton improperly withdrew approximately $256,027.00 in benefits.

The charge of theft of public money carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2026.

Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.

The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Keith Abrams of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Jonathan Marshall, Esq.