U.S. ARMY RESERVE OFFICER SENTENCED FOR SCAMMING GOLD STAR FAMILIES
Service members endure many things, starting from enlisting, training, and days away from their loved ones if they are stationed across the state or overseas. The worst case scenario that could happen is if they are assigned to participate in war efforts; this is painful for the family and friends that they will leave because there is no guarantee that they will make it home. Numerous unsung heroes were unable to return alive, so to help the families in terms of financial support, the Gold Star military family was created. However, in a recent scandal, a U.S. Army Reserve officer has been embezzling funds from the program.
A Brief History of the Gold Star Family
The phrase "Gold Star Family" can be traced back to World War I, when military families started displaying service flags with a blue star on them for immediate family members serving in the Armed Forces. Then, if a family lost a loved one due to war, the star would be changed to gold. Hence, the Gold Star Family was created. Individual family members were also referred to as Gold Star Mothers, Gold Star Wives, and so on.
In 1928, a Gold Star mother, Grace Darling, created the organization American Gold Star Mothers, which includes 25 other grieving mothers. It aims to keep the memory of a deceased loved one by working to help in military communities.
Its headquarters is located in Washington, D.C., and still operates to this day. After a few years, former President Franklin D. Roosevelt noticed the organization's effort and decided to designate the last Sunday of September as National Gold Star Mother's Day.
U.S. Army Reserve Issue vs. Gold Star Families
A financial counselor and Army Reserve has defrauded the Gold Star families at around $4 million in benefits. As a result, District Judge Georgette Castner sentenced him to 12 years in prison.
42-year-old Caz Craffy pleaded guilty in April after being charged by officials with multiple charges, including six counts of wire fraud. In addition to the 151-month prison term, he was ordered for a forfeiture of $1.4 million and three years of supervised release.
Craffy, a U.S. Army reserve officer, held a civilian post at the Army's Casualty Assistance Office from November 2017 to January 2023. He then provided financial education to the beneficiaries of fallen service members. He advised the vulnerable families to invest their benefits in the accounts he managed since he also works with two financial investment firms. The families then invested their money, hoping that it was the best decision, not knowing that Craffy was using it to make his own.
From the money he embezzled from the Gold Star Families, this U.S. Army Reserve member gained around $9.9 to $10 million. He invested the money in the accounts he managed and outside the system without the Gold Star Families' authorization, earning increased commissions at around $1.4 million.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission now has a pending civil complaint against him for the same conduct. Craffy has been permanently barred from being associated with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. The military did not comment on whether the U.S. Army Reserve would receive any additional punishments.
His scheme was discovered due to the efforts of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, FBI, Homeland Security Department, and the Army Criminal Investigation Division, which conducted probes that resulted in his charge as Craffy is still a reservist, a judicial or administrative process is usually needed for his dismissal from service.
Honoring the Gold Star Families
There are a lot of ways for you to honor these families, one of which is supporting the program of USO for the families of the fallen. They have been doing this since 1991 with other organizations such as Fisher House.
Another way is via education. You can educate your friends and families about the Gold Star Family. Lastly, during Memorial Day, instead of having a long party weekend, cookout, and going out to the mall for discount sales, why not spend time reading about those fallen heroes or posting them on social media? With this, you can genuinely support the Gold Star Families.
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