Man Who Bilked Millions From Navy Charity Donors Gets 28 Years

By Scott Neuman / NPR

Published December 16, 2013 at 8:50 AM PST

This story was published more than 10 years ago.

Bobby Thompson, who authorities have identified as Harvard-trained attorney John Donald Cody, looks at the jury as his verdict is read in Cleveland in November.

Bobby Thompson, whom authorities have identified as Harvard-trained attorney John Donald Cody, looks at the jury as his verdict is read in Cleveland in November.

A man found guilty of masterminding a $100 million fraud involving a Navy veterans charity has been sentenced to 28 years in prison and slapped with a $6 million fine.

Harvard-trained attorney John Cody, 67, went by the alias Bobby Thompson. He was convicted in November of 23 counts, including identity fraud and using a false name in a scam that spanned 40 states, Reuters says.

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The news agency writes:

"Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, whose office spent years investigating the case, said he was glad Cody was being held accountable for his 'despicable actions.'

" 'It's horrible when a scammer victimizes people, but to do it under the cover story of helping veterans is just plain evil,' said DeWine."

As we reported in September, when Cody was first charged, he

"claimed in court filings that he [was] still working as a 'nonofficial cover' agent for the CIA, and that the charity is part of a secret operation.

"The Tampa Bay Times [reported] that 'in a handwritten court motion, Thompson alleged that the Tampa charity was not a criminal enterprise but a U.S. intelligence community/White House- and Republican Party-manipulated operation.' "