A man from Forest City Township, Maine, was arrested in La Plata, Missouri on August 21 after being charged with making false statements to the U.S. government. Gregory P. Heimann Jr., 51, was indicted in October 2024 for allegedly providing false information to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
According to court records, Heimann is accused of falsely claiming to the VA in May 2023 that he had been wheelchair bound since 2004 and could not walk or stand. Prior to his indictment, he faced charges through a federal criminal complaint for the same alleged offense. Authorities issued an arrest warrant in April 2024.
The affidavit supporting the complaint states that Heimann was observed and recorded walking and standing without mobility devices on several occasions while in Maine.
The search for Heimann involved multiple agencies. The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Maine Violent Offender Task Force led the investigation into his location. USMS investigators from the Eastern District of Missouri arrested him in La Plata, Missouri. The VA Office of Inspector General and the Maine Warden Service also contributed to the investigation.
Heimann appeared before the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri on August 22 and was ordered to remain in USMS custody until a future court appearance is scheduled in Maine.
“An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.”
