VA Boss Admits Stealing Home Improvements

A property manager in West Haven for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs admitted in court Wednesday that she ordered her employees to build a deck and do other work at her home with government tools and materials.

Venita Godfrey-Smith, 47, of New Haven pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Hartford to theft of government property. The government estimates it lost from $15,000 and $20,000 on work at Godfrey-Smith's house.

Federal prosecutors said Godfrey-Smith was a supervisor in facilities management at the Veterans Affair Medical Center, responsible for repairing doors, replacing locks and other minor maintenance projects.

Between 2010 and 2013, the government says she ordered her employees to perform a variety of improvement projects at her home, including the deck, carpet installation and bathroom and kitchen renovations

Godfrey-Smith instructed her employees to use veterans Affairs materials, tools and vehicles while working at her home. In some cases, she ordered them to buy materials using her government issued credit card, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said some of the work was done during business hours..

Godfrey-Smith is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford on August 4.

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VA Boss Admits Stealing Home Improvements