BAH Fraud Defense Attorney

BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) fraud in the military refers to situations where servicemembers attempt to receive BAH benefits they are not entitled to or provide false information to increase their BAH payments. BAH is a monetary allowance provided to military personnel to help cover the cost of housing when they are not provided with government housing. There are also a number of other kinds of pay and allowances that can be obtained by fraud or false pretenses.

Here are some common forms of BAH fraud and other types of obtaining pay and allowances that could violate the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ):

False Dependency Claims: Some servicemembers may falsely claim dependents to receive a higher BAH rate that corresponds to their claimed family size.
Inaccurate Housing Locations: Someone may submit fraudulent documentation, such as fake leases, to show that dependents are living in a certain location during a deployment when they are not in order to receive a higher BAH rate for the geographic area.
Sham Marriages: A servicemember may marry someone solely for the purpose of obtaining government benefits, which is a form of fraud.
Dual BAH Claims: Married service members may attempt to receive BAH for both their primary residence and a secondary residence, which is not permitted.
Failure to Report Changes: Servicemembers are required to report changes in marital status, family size, or housing arrangements that would affect the BAH rate, such as divorce, and failing to do so could be a form of fraud.
Off-Base Residence While Living On-Base: Receiving BAH for off-base housing while actually living in government-provided housing on a military base could be a form of BAH fraud.

BAH fraud can be a serious offense and is something that can be investigated by CID, NCIS, and AFOSI. Penalties for those found guilty of BAH fraud can include disciplinary action, rank reduction, loss of security clearance, fines, and even imprisonment.

Defending against an allegation of BAH fraud

If you are facing an allegation of BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) fraud in the military, it’s essential to take the situation seriously:

Consult with Legal Counsel:

Seek immediate legal advice from a civilian attorney experienced in military law. This is a critical step, as your attorney can provide guidance specific to your case and help protect your rights throughout the process. We can help with all the following steps to help obtain the best result possible for your case.

Gather Documentation:

Collect all relevant documents and records that can support your case. This may include lease agreements, utility bills, pay stubs, PCS orders, divorce decrees, and any other documents that demonstrate your entitlement to the BAH rate you received.

Do not immediately give them to investigators. Talk to your attorney first to decide what the best course of action is. “Cooperating” with investigators can – and often does – backfire and make the situation worse for you.

Review the Allegations:

Understand the specific allegations against you and the evidence that supports these claims. Your attorney will help you analyze the case against you. She will help you figure out what UCMJ charges may be applicable to your case. She will also identify weaknesses or inconsistencies in the allegations to prepare you for potential outcomes.

Maintain Open Communication:

Stay in close contact with your attorney and follow her advice. Be honest and transparent with your attorney about all aspects of your case, as this will help her provide the best possible defense.

Build a Strong Defense Strategy:

Work closely with your attorney to develop a strong defense strategy tailored to your case. This may involve challenging the evidence presented against you, demonstrating errors or inaccuracies in the allegations, or showing that you had a legitimate reason for any discrepancies.

Consider Mitigation:

You always need to keep performing at your highest possible level while you are under investigation. Doing so will help with sentencing, if that is what happens in your case. You also need to work with your attorneys to get whatever mitigation evidence they ask for from you, such as awards and decorations.

Be Patient and Composed:

Legal proceedings can be lengthy and stressful. It’s important to remain patient and composed throughout the process and trust your attorney’s guidance. If you ever have questions about your case, KMD has a team of people here to assist you and answer those questions.

Remember that BAH fraud allegations are serious and can have significant consequences. An experienced attorney is crucial in helping you navigate the legal process and mounting an effective defense to protect your rights and reputation.

Contact KMD for a free case evaluation.

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4.9

DeAndre Fletcher

Good morning, Afternoon or Evening to all.I recently had Stephanie, Lindsey and Danielle as my defense counsel team. They were very professional, approachable and available to assist, give information and be readily available. Nothing but a wonderful experience, definitely help me keep my stress levels at bay while dealing with the legal process regarding my case. I am keep their contact information on hand for anyone who will ever need there services. Highly recommended.

Beautiful

I found myself in an unfortunate situation where I was in desperate need for a military defense attorney. Steph, Abbey and Danielle are a POWERHOUSE together. They’re so knowledgeable and professional. I just remember being told that I was getting an automatic ADSEP and all I can say is that I’m still here with an amazing outcome. I highly recommend if you want to save your military career, especially if you find yourself feeling hopeless about your legal situation 100% retain this law firm you won’t regret it. I am beyond grateful to have had KMD on my side.Thank you so much again for a fantastic job!:) Teiona B

Candice Thompson

I found myself in an unfortunate situation where I was desperate for an attorney. I am so glad that I found KMD. Steph is a POWERHOUSE and didn't back down during the entire case. She is so knowledgeable and uses her knowledge to your advantage. I could not recommend her more, especially if you find yourself feeling hopeless about a legal case. I am beyond grateful to have met Steph and have her on my side.

Jasmine Rodriguez

Found myself in an unfortunate situation where I was in need of a lawyer. Luckily when I did a google search Kral Military Defense was the first website to pop up. If you are willing to fight for your name and career, then look no further Kral Military Defense is who you want on your side. Stephaine and her team are very knowledgeable and professional.

matthew larason

Kral Military Defenses has my highest recommendation! If you are a service member and need an attorney who is responsive, intelligent, and treats you like a person, not just a number. She is the attorney for you.I was on deployment when I needed an attorney. Kral Military Defense took care of my legal affairs while I was out to sea. It was a weight off my shoulders knowing she was handling my situation back home while I was gone.When my chain of command was putting unnecessary limitations on my liberty because of my legal situation. She went above and beyond by contacted my ship and was able to get them lifted.Kral Military Defense was able to resolve my situation with no action taken against myself. If I ever need of a defense attorney ever again I'm 100% coming back to Kral Military Defense.

graham de la garza

My local Military Defense Counsel is very short staffed so I had trouble getting a hold of them. Not wanting to wait I contacted Ms. Danielle Espinosa over the weekend and she was able to help review and discuss my response with me before it was due Monday. She was extremely knowledgeable, cut the fluff and told me like it was. I recommend anyone serious about the future of their Military Career to work with this team. Thank you for your help!

Chad S.

When I retained Ms. Kral, I was a nervous wreck. As she worked with me over the course of 18 months, she was compassionate and was able to assure me that I would have a future. Even my command JAG assured me I’d be alright when I hired her. I couldn’t have asked for a better outcome with my case. Ms. Kral should be your choice if you need a military defense attorney.

Rufus Byrd

Abbigayle Hunter and her legal team, especially Danielle Espinosa, were exceptional! The communication was prompt, professional, and thorough. From the moment we reached out to them, they showed a genuine interest in understanding our case and providing us with the best legal representation possible.Abbigayle Hunter and Danielle Espinosa, went above and beyond to ensure that we were kept informed throughout the entire legal process. They promptly responded to our emails and phone calls, addressing any concerns or questions we had. Their attention to detail and extensive knowledge of the law instilled confidence in us that we were in capable hands.Not only did Abbigayle Hunter and her team provide us with excellent communication, but they also displayed a remarkable level of expertise. They meticulously examined every aspect of our case, leaving no stone unturned. Their dedication and commitment to our case were evident in the meticulous research they conducted, the thorough documentation they prepared, and the persuasive arguments they presented.Abbigayle Hunter not only possessed an impressive understanding of the law but also had excellent negotiation skills. Her tirelessly advocated on our behalf, ensuring that our interests were protected and our rights were upheld. Their ability to navigate complex legal matters and maneuver through any obstacles that arose was truly remarkable.

Kourtni Bernicky

Stephanie and her team were AMAZING! I found her through a mutual friend and she handled my case with care and compassion. Even her team checked on me, answered all my questions I had, overall she made sure everything was token care of during the ENTIRE process! When she told me “don’t you worry, that’s my job” I truly believe her and in the end she got the results that I am so grateful for! Hopefully I won’t have to go through the process again but if I have to she will most definitely be the woman I WILL call on! Thank you so much Stephanie and Danielle you both made this process a lot less stressful with your knowledge and compassion towards me and my case!!!

Jonathon Lynch

Steph and her team worked diligently to ensure all evidence or lack there of was thoroughly examined. Her knowledge and experience within the military justice system gave me piece of mind throughout the process as she was well versed in the way everything played out. My family and I are grateful for the hard work and professionalism displayed by everyone on her team. Thank you!

Eva Aguilar

Hiring Steph has been the greatest thing for my career. In the last year alone I have had horrible encounters with my immediate chain of command and twice I had the best outcome given the circumstances. I highly recommend Steph.

Marcos Maldonado

Steph was the first and clear choice to handle my ADSEP board. I was facing serious allegations, which she handled with professionalism while keeping me posted along the way. Her expertise in UCMJ matters is second to none. Without her I would have probably lost my retirement benefits.

Desiree M.

Called on behalf of a veteran who is terminally ill regarding a discharge upgrade and spoke to their assistant Christian. Christian was so unbelievably rude and spoke to me like I'm an idiot when he was unable to answer the questions I had about their services and the process. The level of disrespect from him totally caught me off guard given the nature of work the office is supposed to be doing. What's more upsetting is the lack of empathy that he displayed during our conversation. Unfortunately, I can't not speak on the level of service from the attorneys since we decided to go with someone else but Christian either needs to undergo more training or he needs to be replaced.

Jameel Yusuf

Stephanie is very experienced and a great attorney.

Tim Malikie

There are many things that I could say about this particular law firm, but instead of going into the weeds on my particular case, I feel as though brevity would be the best choice here. I was primarily represented by Ms. Abbigayle Hunter, and in short, I believe the representation by Ms. Hunter was above reproach. I couldn’t have asked for a better legal professional to handle the complexities of my particular case. She was transparent, punctual, and actually made me feel as though she was personally invested, despite the fact that she had already been paid for representation. She didn’t sugarcoat hard truths and was very up front about all different aspects relating to my case. It was comforting in a way that she was also a fellow service member, and it made me feel as though she took this case to heart and it added another level of drive to the case. Ms. Hunter has a certain tenacity in the courtroom that I found very refreshing to witness, and I would strongly recommend her to anyone else seeking legal advice. Would actively seek to be represented by her again, though also hoping it’s never needed.

Jamal Stephens

Outstanding!!!! She's very smart, knows her job, and communicates with you all the time with the best of her knowledge. I highly recommend Kral Military Defense!!!

Vincent Hurtado

After my command refused to give me due process, I was lost for words and truly had no where to turn. A shipmate referred me to Steph and it was the best possible recommendation I have ever received. Reliable, expert, professional and overall just a great person. She never lost sight of my case and would check in on me to ensure I was doing good personally. I highly recommend her services to anyone who may have a legal issue. At minimum, request a consultation. I can assure that you will not be dissatisfied!

Selena Hurtado

Highly recommend Steph! Thank you for all your hard work and fighting for righteousness. My family and I will be forever grateful!

Tyson Smith

Great team! After hiring this legal team i was pleased with their work and their ability to go above and beyond resulting in a finding of not guilty.

Shawn Hutchinson

Very easy to talk to. Will get you the best outcome there is

Shelly B.

I wish you could give more than 5 stars. She deserves 10!! This was a huge decision for our child, but she was worth every penny and more. As a mom I was really concerned about him spending the money on an attorney since you never know what you’re going to get. Our child mentioned this to Stephanie and she called me to answer all my questions. She went above and beyond what was required of her, not just with the phone call but with everything she did. The case went on for longer than we had ever imagined. She never wavered in her dedication. I was honestly shocked at just how hard she worked. If only I could express in words the heart felt gratitude, we feel towards her. She fought so hard and we knew we could trust decisions she made. When ever our child would update us, we would ask what Stephanie thought. We never could have imagined finding an attorney who we trust as much as we trust her. I don’t believe you will find an attorney who will fight as hard for you as she will. I consider her a part of our family and am so very blessed to have gotten to know her. She’s an amazing attorney and an even more amazing human being.

Patrick And Fischer

Stephanie was a great attorney as well as her team they helped me through my entire CID investigation and got me a no basis separation. Every question I had was answered in the upmost professional manner. I highly recommend that you retain her defense team for any case that you have. She’s attacks every case in a manner that leaves everyone with a reasonable doubt.

Evan Giancola

This was a life changing decision.I spent hours searching for and calling several attorneys. Some didn't give me the time of day, others just seemed cold. Mrs. Kral was the only attorney I called who actually seemed to care. And not only that but she listened me and gave an honest opinion. Usually you feel that attorneys only care about money but I never once felt that from Mrs. Kral. She took a personal interest in my case and brought not only her extensive knowledge of the law, but also her fierce attitude and relentless perseverance. She never missed a beat and always had a way forward. She also has excellent communication skills and took the time to explain everything to me at every step. I felt hopeless until we met. Now I can move on with my life and move forward with everything behind me because of how valiantly she fought. I truly think that if you decide to choose Kral Military Defense to fight for you then you'll never feel disappointed. If I could give more than 5 stars then I would. Because she's not like other attorneys. She will always have your back and keep your best interests at heart. If you take away anything from this review, let it be this: You want someone behind you that is willing to fight for you as if you were their own and also has the strength and knowledge to be successful. Don't pass up the opportunity to increase your chances and decrease your stress.

Carlos Berreteaga

The team at Kral Military Defense is very approachable, knowledgeable, and dedicated. I was facing an LOR due to the results of an investigation conducted by the military. The team at Kral Military Defense reviewed the report of investigation and was able to craft an excellent rebuttal to the charges. Ultimately, the leadership decided to rescind the LOR . The whole team, Steph, Danielle, ,Abby, and Chris were very responsive to my questions and requests through the whole process. If you ever find yourself in any sort of legal situation in the military I highly recommend that you contact them and put them in your corner!

Andrew Compton

Stephanie was very knowledgeable and despite me being so anxious about my case helped me through it and got an innocent verdict within 6 minutes of the board being adjourned. So very grateful for her and my JAG for helping me out and highly recommend hiring Stephanie especially if you are military.