Bronx District Attorney Darcel D. Clark announced Wednesday that a former nursing assistant at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in the Bronx has been sentenced to five years probation after pleading guilty to stealing a paralyzed veteran’s credit card and making unauthorized purchases.
Unique Allen, 34, of Buck Street in the Bronx, was sentenced by Bronx Supreme Court Justice Timothy Lewis on one count of fourth-degree grand larceny. Allen, a former full-time nursing assistant in the Spinal Cord Injury Unit at the James J. Peters VA Medical Center, pleaded guilty to the charge on Aug. 30.
Between December 2019 and January 2020, Allen used the credit card information of a 72-year-old paraplegic patient to buy various items, including food deliveries, shoes, bath products, and movie tickets, amounting to approximately $600. She also attempted to purchase $2,000 worth of additional items, but the transaction was declined. Allen was later terminated from her position for an unrelated issue.
District Attorney Clark condemned Allen’s actions, stating, “The defendant, who was an employee of the hospital, violated her duty to the patient, a paralyzed veteran. She will now suffer the consequences of her behavior with a permanent criminal record.”
Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office also emphasized the seriousness of the crime. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that the VA Office of Inspector General will vigorously investigate VA employees who would exploit our nation’s veterans receiving care at VA medical facilities. The VA OIG thanks the Bronx District Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this case.”
The theft came to light after Allen’s suspicious purchases were flagged, leading to an investigation by the VA Office of Inspector General, which confirmed her involvement.
