Marlboro Women Admits Scamming $2.8 million from Veterans Administration

Elizabeth Honig, 52, of the Morganville section of Marlboro Township, pleaded guilty in federal court today to stealing $2.8 million from a Veterans Administration program designed to help veterans find employment, according to a statement by Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick.

Honig enrolled 182 veterans to receive federal funding to attend Veterans Retraining Assistance Program (VARP) courses at Computer Insight Learning Center, an Eatontown company that she owns. The vast majority of the veterans were either not eligible for the training or did not attend at all.  She collected $750 per month fees from the vets, and collected approximately $1.3 million from them of the $2,831,455 that the federal government distributed for tuition. She allowed the vets to keep the rest of the money paid to them by the VA.

Honig admitted that she logged on to the applications system more than 100 times and certified that she was the actual veteran who was applying for benefits. She supplied false information about employment status to qualify to attend her school and receive funding from the VA. Honig then certified to the VA that the veterans enrolled in her Business Software Applications Program – approved by the VA as a 14-week course costing approximately $4,000– were attending for up to one year. Honig also certified that the veterans were attending full time, in-class, knowing that 62 of those veterans lived out of the state. CILC is not eligible to be approved to provide online education.

According to Honig’s facebook page, she also owns Insight Drug and Alcohol Testing Center in Eatontown.  A recording on that company’s voice mail states that Computer Insight Learning Center and Insight Drug and Alcohol Testing Center are both out of business.

Horning faces a possible 10 years in federal prison plus a fine of either $250,000 or twice the gross amount of her gain from the crime, or twice the loss suffered by any victims, whichever is greatest when she is sentenced on September 25.  Additionally the U.S. Attorney’s Office has indicated it will proceed with asset forfeiture t0 recover the $2,831,455 Honig admitted stealing.

Honig is represented by Evan Nappen, Esq of Eatontown.