A woman has been charged with multiple counts of fraud and identity theft after allegedly stealing $864,380 from 11 disabled veterans, according to an indictment.
One of the individuals who federal prosecutors accuse Darlene Toman, 64, of stealing money from includes a war veteran who received a Purple Heart after being shot in the head by a sniper in Iraq, according to the indictment, cited by Cleveland.com.
Prosecutors also allege that she stole $77,051 from the pro bono account belonging to Kabb Law Firm in Beachwood, Ohio, a law firm where she worked that specializes in elder care and serves as a fiduciary for veterans who need help managing their finances due to injuries or disabilities related to their time in service.
Toman pleaded not guilty at her arraignment on Monday in U.S. District Court in Cleveland to six counts of bank fraud, six counts of wire fraud, and four counts of aggravated identity theft.
Authorities released her from custody on a $20,000 unsecured bond.
How the Alleged Scheme Unfolded
Toman reportedly worked at the firm since 2010, as part of a work release program while she served a 60-day jail sentence for stealing some $12,000 from the Lake County Probate Court, Cleveland.com reported.
She had been promoted to office manager in 2015, a role she had while the alleged scheme took place.
The indictment claims Toman wrote checks to herself from clients’ accounts and the firm’s pro bono account in a scheme that lasted from February 2018 to December 2024. The indictment says that she used most of the money on gambling, as well as paying off some credit card debts.
“Rather than help veteran victims,” the indictment reportedly said, the “defendant used their identities to steal from their bank accounts, stealing benefits that had been allocated to them, largely benefits intended to help veteran victims cover their basic living costs, often while they lived with disabilities derived from injuries suffered while serving their country in the U.S. Armed Services.”
There have been other recent cases of alleged fiduciary fraud. In February 2026, a Cincinnati fiduciary pleaded guilty to stealing more than $158,000 from elderly and ill veterans between June 2021 and November 2022.
Military members, veterans and military families reported losing $684 million to fraud in 2025, according to Federal Trade Commission data.
