DHS Employee Charged With Fraudulently Obtaining $478,000 VA-Backed Mortgage

BOSTON - A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employee has been arrested and charged for allegedly committing wire fraud and submitting false statements in a mortgage application seeking a mortgage backed by the Department of Veteran's Affairs (VA).

Schleider Aristhyl, 30, of Warwick, R.I., a military veteran and DHS employee, was charged with wire fraud and false statement in a mortgage application. The defendant was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston earlier today.

According to the charging documents, in October 2024, Aristhyl submitted two falsified documents that purported to be from the VA with his application seeking a VA-backed mortgage in the amount of $478,000 from private lender. The first fraudulent document stated that Aristhyl had received a VA disability rating of 100% and that he was receiving monthly disability benefits of over $3,000 per month. It is alleged that the document was falsified and that Aristhyl had no VA disability rating at the time of his application and he was not receiving any monthly disability benefits from the VA in October of 2024.

The second fraudulent document allegedly purported to be a VA certificate stating that Aristhyl was exempt from paying a "funding fee" to the VA. Veterans applying for a VA-backed mortgage are typically required to pay a funding fee to the VA, unless they are deemed exempt under VA rules. It is alleged that the document was falsified and that Aristhyl was not exempt from paying the funding fee, which was over $10,000.

Relying on the misrepresentations in these false documents the lender issued a mortgage loan in the amount of $478,000 to Aristhyl on Oct. 25, 2024 and the VA issued a loan guarantee backing a portion of the mortgage on Jan. 21, 2025.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of false statement in a mortgage application provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General's Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Immigration and Custom Enforcement's Office of Professional Responsibility and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.

The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.