Veteran Sentenced for $85,000 Charity Fraud

Sharon Toney-Finch, a Newburgh-area veteran in her 40s, was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison after pleading guilty in March to wire fraud and stolen valor charges. Prosecutors say she raised roughly $85,000 through the Yerik Israel Toney Foundation by falsely claiming donations would help homeless veterans and families of premature infants, then spent the money on personal expenses including a BMW, gym membership, restaurants and travel. She admitted fabricating military service claims — including that she was wounded by an IED in Iraq and awarded a Purple Heart — and investigators say she submitted doctored discharge papers and repeated the lies publicly, including a false story that migrants had displaced veterans from a local hotel. In addition to the prison term, she was ordered to pay $84,000 in restitution, forfeit $85,000 and serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors say she was also indicted on related counts, including theft of government funds and forging a discharge certificate, and U.S. District Judge Vincent Briccetti called her conduct “appalling” and disrespectful to fellow veterans.