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Wednesday, October 21, 2026

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Justice Department · Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Philippines-based American pleads guilty in a veteran fraud

The File desk · Oct. 21, 2026, 6:40 a.m. ET

Confirmed1 primary sources

Status

Confirmed from the Justice Department release of Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026. Robert Wayne Boling Jr. pleaded guilty. The release says the scheme targeted thousands of servicemembers and veterans.
  • Confirmed
    Boling, 45, a U.S. citizen who had lived in the Philippines, pleaded guilty Tuesday in a case in the Western District of Texas.
  • Confirmed
    The department says he used stolen personal information to take money and veterans' benefits from bank accounts.
An American who had been living in the Philippines pleaded guilty Tuesday to an identity-theft scheme aimed at U.S. servicemembers and veterans. Robert Wayne Boling Jr. is 45. Prosecutors say the scheme reached thousands of people.1
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva said Boling “exploited personal information belonging to thousands of military-affiliated individuals, including elderly and disabled veterans.” The release does not state a sentence.1
Why it matters (Estimate). Estimate. A guilty plea means Boling admitted the scheme in court. Veterans' benefits and bank accounts were the target. What he will serve is not in the release, so the punishment is still ahead.1
The Justice Department said Boling received stolen personal information, used it to get into bank accounts, and took money and veterans' benefits. The case is in the Western District of Texas. U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons said his office worked for years to bring Boling back from the Philippines.1
How we know

Notes

  1. 1.Justice Department Office of Public Affairs, “Philippines-Based American Fraudster Pleads Guilty to Targeting Thousands of U.S. Servicemembers and Veterans,” Tuesday, October 20, 2026. Re-opened for this edition. https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/philippines-based-american-fraudster-pleads-guilty-targeting-thousands-us-servicemembers-and “Robert Wayne Boling Jr., 45, a U.S. citizen who previously resided in the Philippines, pleaded guilty today for his role in an identity-theft and fraud scheme that victimized thousands of U.S. servicemembers and veterans.” “Boling operated from the Philippines, and he received and exploited stolen personally identifiable information (PII) of U.S. servicemembers and veterans to compromise their bank accounts and steal money and veterans’ benefits.” A. Tysen Duva: “exploited personal information belonging to thousands of military-affiliated individuals, including elderly and disabled veterans.” Justin R. Simmons spoke for the Western District of Texas. Charges are allegations; defendants are presumed innocent. A guilty plea is an admission in this case. It is not a sentence.

What is still unknown or disputed

  • The sentence, and any restitution figure.
  • How many accounts were actually drained, beyond “thousands” of people targeted.

Primary sources

Every claim in this story is drawn from the documents below. If a fetch failed, that is recorded on the card.

  1. Source 1

    Philippines-Based American Pleads Guilty to Targeting Servicemembers and Veterans

    U.S. Department of Justice · October 20, 2026

    Robert Wayne Boling Jr., 45, pleaded guilty to an identity-theft scheme that victimized thousands of U.S. servicemembers and veterans.

    https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/philippines-based-american-fraudster-pleads-guilty-targeting-thousands-us-servicemembers-and

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