BOSTON — A Pittsfield man is accused of falsely impersonating a U.S. Army veteran for over 30 years to obtain medical care at Veterans Affairs medical centers and other benefits.
James D. Sommers, whose age is unknown, has been arrested and charged with one count of false statements, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement on Friday.
Sommers was arrested Thursday in Pittsfield, where he was staying under the guise of a victim’s identity at Soldier On, a facility that provides transitional housing to U.S. military veterans, Foley said.
Sommers remains in federal custody and will next appear in federal court on March 9.
According to the charging documents, beginning as early as 1994, Sommers has falsely impersonated a U.S. Army veteran who served honorably from 1979 to 1982.
Prosecutors allege that Sommers used the victim’s stolen identity to obtain thousands of dollars in Social Security benefits and nearly $30,000 in medical care and medications from VA medical centers.
Most recently, Sommers falsely impersonated the victim on Feb. 20 to obtain medical care at the VA Medical Center in Northampton, Foley said.
Prosecutors allege that Sommers has numerous prior convictions in New York State in 1994, 1997, 2001, and 2011, all under the victim’s name, for offenses including: criminal possession of stolen property; intent to obtain transportation without paying; sale of a controlled substance; possession of a forged instrument; attempted grand larceny; grand larceny; and forgery.
If convicted of the charge of false statements, Sommers faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2026 Cox Media Group
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
