Contractor Guilty in $107K DTS Fraud
PHOTO CAPTION: Air Force Tech. Sgt. Sarah Brunsman, a travel pay specialist, looks at the Defense Travel System website at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, Nov. 10, 2011. A government contractor pleaded guilty Sept. 15, 2026, after prosecutors said he changed DTS banking information and redirected more than $107,000 in travel funds into his own accounts. U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Dan Heaton.
A government contractor has pleaded guilty after prosecutors say he used his access to Defense Travel System profiles to redirect more than $107,000 in government travel reimbursements into his own bank accounts.
Kevin D. Mickie, 47, of Stafford, Virginia, pleaded guilty Sept. 15 in federal court to theft of government property.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, Mickie worked for a government contracting firm that provided technical support services to the Department of War and had administrative access to Defense Travel System accounts.
From November 2019 through February 2023, prosecutors say Mickie managed DTS profiles with the ability to view user accounts, reset credentials and modify profile information — including banking and disbursement details.
He used that access to replace account holders’ bank account and routing numbers with his own, according to court documents cited by prosecutors.
The changes caused travel reimbursements to be electronically deposited into Mickie’s personal bank accounts.
Federal prosecutors say the scheme diverted a total of $107,316.82 in government travel funds.
Mickie allegedly used two methods.
In some cases, prosecutors say he altered legitimate travel vouchers so that part of an authorized reimbursement was redirected to him.
In others, he created fictitious travel authorizations and vouchers for trips that never occurred.
Prosecutors also say Mickie changed the primary email addresses associated with compromised DTS accounts to his own email address.
The scheme continued even after Mickie stopped working for the contractor in February 2023.
According to the Justice Department, some affected account holders did not realize that portions of their travel reimbursements had been redirected. As a result, the diversion continued until January 2024.
The Defense Travel System is used to manage official government travel, including authorizations, reservations, vouchers and reimbursement payments. Service members and Defense Department civilian employees are among those who use the system.
Mickie is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 14, 2027.
He faces a statutory maximum of 10 years in prison. His actual sentence will be determined by the federal court after consideration of sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case was investigated with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations in Washington, D.C., and was announced by officials from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Department of War Inspector General and the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General.
(Source: OAF Nation)
