VA employee charged with using credit card to steal $177,000

CHICAGO -- A man who worked 28 years for the Hines VA Hospital has been charged with using his corporate credit card to cheat the hospital out of $177,000.

Federal prosecutors say Paul Romito, 49, of Westmont, used the card to buy computer equipment, which he then sold for cash. He was business manager in the hospital's surgical services department before resigning in May when he was accused of the crime.

Prosecutors also charged Romito's associate, Trajano Luis Ocana, who allegedly bought most of the computer equipment from him and sold it to pawn shops. Ocana, 54, of Melrose Park, allegedly knew the equipment was bought with the corporate credit card and requested certain brand names and models for Romito to buy with the card.

Romito "used his position to get around some of the internal oversight mechanisms to prevent this kind of fraud," Assistant U.S. Attorney Markus Funk said.