A former office manager at an Ohio law firm has been charged with stealing $864,380 from 11 disabled veterans whose money the firm was trusted to manage, according to a federal indictment reported by Military.com. Darlene Toman, 64, worked at Kabb Law Firm in Beachwood, an elder-care firm that acts as a fiduciary for veterans who need help handling their finances because of injuries or disabilities tied to their military service.
Source: Military.com — Woman Stole More Than $864,000 from 11 Disabled Veterans: Indictment, Oct 21, 2026
Prosecutors allege Toman also took $77,051 from the firm's pro bono account, bringing the total alleged loss to $941,431 (yaani about $0.94 million). The indictment alleges she wrote cheques to herself from client accounts and the pro bono account from February 2018 to December 2024, and that she spent most of the money on gambling and used some of it to pay credit-card debt, the Daily Hodl reported, citing the indictment.
Purple Heart recipient among the alleged victims
One alleged victim is a veteran who received a Purple Heart after being shot in the head by a sniper in Iraq, according to the indictment cited in the reports. The indictment says the money taken was largely benefits intended to help the veterans cover basic living costs, often while they lived with disabilities from injuries suffered in service.
Toman faces six counts of bank fraud, six counts of wire fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft. She pleaded not guilty at her arraignment on Monday in U.S. District Court in Cleveland and was released on a $20,000 unsecured bond, Military.com reported. The reports note she started at the firm in 2010 and was promoted to office manager in 2015. All charges are allegations, and she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.