St. Cloud man accused of stealing vet benefits

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A St. Cloud man has been indicted on a charge of stealing veterans’ benefits.

Federal prosecutors say 51-year-old Mitchell George Pederson has been charged with theft of government funds. He's accused of stealing benefits that his mother was collecting as the spouse of a military member who died in action.

The benefits should have been terminated when she died in 2004, but prosecutors say Pederson continued to deposit them into his account.

A telephone number for Pederson could not immediately be found Friday.

The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.

A St. Cloud Times report states the indictment was filed Wednesday.

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