Maine man pleads guilty to VA disability fraud

Gregory P. Heimann Jr., 52, of Forest City Township, Maine, has pleaded guilty in a Bangor courtroom to making false statements to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Heimann admitted to falsely claiming he had been unable to walk or stand since 2004, a deception that led the VA to designate him as 100% disabled and paraplegic in 2008.

Court documents reveal that the VA has paid Heimann approximately $244,075 in disability benefits since January 2016, with monthly payments totaling about $5,000. While federal agents documented Heimann walking without mobility devices in 2023, he reportedly told investigators during a February 2024 interview that he feared losing his lifestyle if his benefits were adjusted.

In April 2024, Heimann disappeared from his Washington County home, taking a canoe and belongings to a river near the Canadian border. Following a massive search that initially suggested he may have drowned, he was eventually tracked to La Plata, Missouri, and arrested in 2025. Heimann faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.