Former VA Official Sentenced For Theft, Kickbacks

CLEVELAND — A former Cleveland VA Medical Center supervisor was sentenced to 37 months in prison and ordered to pay $1.2 million in restitution this week.

William H. Precht, 54, from Kent, previously pleaded guilty to theft of government property and participating in a bribery and kickback scheme. He was sentenced on Thursday by Judge Donald Nugent of the U.S. District Court.

“Public corruption by VA employees erodes trust in the department and diverts taxpayer money intended for our nation’s veterans,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Gavin McClaren of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Central Field Office.

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Between 2010 and January 2019, Precht was an inventory management specialist and supervisory management and program analyst for the Cleveland VA. He was charged with ordering medical supplies, buying equipment and monitoring requests for additional purchases.

Using his position, Precht registered a company as a vendor of medical supplies, court documents said, without revealing that he actually controlled the firm. He labeled the businesses as a "small, disadvantaged business and veteran-owned small business."

He purchased more than $1 million in supplies from his own firm, court documents said.

Precht also devised a kickback scheme using a medical sales representative who worked with multiple companies, court documents said.

To cover his tracks, Precht lied to VA officials and falsified patient records, court documents said.

He was later investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Cleveland FBI, leading to charges and Thursday's sentencing.