Federal prosecutors say a Desoto man has pleaded guilty to being part of a conspiracy to steal government funds through a kickback scheme involving contracting at Cochran VA Medical Center in St. Louis.

Prosecutors say 54-year-old Scott Geary has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to steal government funds.

Prosecutors say Geary and others arranged for contracts for “unnecessary maintenance and construction projects” at Cochran VA. Geary admits that more than $270,000 “in unnecessary work” was billed to the government, through this scheme. Federal prosecutors say Geary also kicked a portion of each contract back “to the VA official who steered him the work”.

While it’s unclear who that official is, the Justice Department says the investigation “into the other individuals involved in the scheme continues.”

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D) has issued a statement to Missourinet about Geary’s case. McCaskill, a former Jackson County Prosecutor, is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. The committee looks for ways to prevent government tax dollars from being wasted.

“I look forward to seeing this man (Geary) behind bars for defrauding taxpayers of hundreds of thousands of dollars in a sickening scheme to get rich that preyed upon this country’s veterans’ health system,” says McCaskill.

Geary’s sentencing is scheduled for March 15, before Judge Henry Autrey.

Geary faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine.