Desert Storm Veteran With Mobility Issues Loses Over $150,000 in Home Renovation

A veteran with mobility issues who served in Operation Desert Storm said he has lost more than $150,000 after a construction project went awry.

Ed Smith, 73, of Kansas City, and his family claim they began building another home on their second lot last year. But the family alleged the contractors they hired to complete the project took the $157,000 and did not complete it after over a year. The money was reportedly was paid from Smith’s retirement funds.

“In exchange for $157,000 of my dad’s complete retirement funds, we have a hole in our backyard in the wrong place,” Evan Smith, Ed Smith’s son, told local FOX 4.

“We have two parents who have mobility issues, who need accessible care, whose driving days are limited,” Ed’s daughter added.

The family alleged the contractors they hired promised a refund but then stopped communicating with the family. The contractors also told Fox4 that they had completed $100,000 of the work, so the family would not be eligible for a full refund.

“This almost seems to me, criminal activity. It’s heartbreaking,” Ed Smith said.

Fox4 reported that the family filed a police report with the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) and a complaint with the Missouri Attorney General’s Office.

“Our investigators aim for accuracy and, at times, it can make the process seem slow,” Kansas City Police Sgt. Phil DiMartino told the news outlet. “In cases involving economic activity, the investigative process can be even more complex and time-consuming, as detectives must work with financial institutions which can take months to receive records from.

“I understand how this can be frustrating to victims of crime in our community.”

Military.com has not alleged any criminality or wrongdoing and reached out to KCPD for additional information.

Financial Risks to Veterans

Veterans have lost funds in other ways.

Earlier this month, a woman pleaded guilty to stealing $160,000 worth of veterans’ and social security benefits that were meant for a family member.

Barbara Ferrell, a 63-year-old woman from Seth, W. Va., pleaded guilty to theft of government money, admitting she stole approximately $160,400 while serving as the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) appointed fiduciary and Social Security Administration (SSA) representative for a family member.

Last month, a woman who stole $240,000 from the VA and used the funds to pay off her student loans, was sentenced to one year in prison.

Operation Desert Storm, which Ed Smith served in, was a military operation in the Gulf War in the early 1990s that was sparked in response to Iraq annexing Kuwait.

Desert Storm lasted 43 days, from Jan. 17 to Feb. 28, 1991, and about 697,000 U.S. troops participated in it. About 299 personnel lost their lives.