DITY Fraud

In the Military, a DITY (Do it Yourself) move refers to a situation where a Servicemember moves all, or some (partial DITY) of their property themselves, instead of allow the Military to contract a moving company. DITY Fraud refers to a situation where a Servicemember attempts to make additional money on a move for moving items that the Servicemember does not actually own and has no need to move, as well as other conduct that results in a Servicemember being paid more money than he/she should.

DITY Fraud is typically categorized as Larceny, punishable under Article 121 of the UCMJ. Furthermore,  Articles 105 (Forgery), 107 (False Official Statement), 124 (Frauds against the United States), and 133 (Conduct Unbecoming) can also be implicated.

DITY Fraud is typically accomplished in one of the following ways:

• Purchasing items, such as concrete blocks, to move and make it appear as though the Servicemember is moving more items than he/she actually owns;
• Moving items that the Servicemember does not own to receive a larger reimbursement;
• Weighing different vehicles on a weight scale to make it appear as though the Servicemember moved more items than he/she actually did; and,
• Altering documents, such as weight tickets, to make it appear that more items were moved

DITY Fraud is typically discovered in one of the following situations:

• the Transportation Office notices discrepancies in paperwork or a larger than average reimbursement;
• Commercial Stores, such as Home Depot/Lowes, reports suspicious activity. This could include a Servicemember purchasing concrete blocks or other heavy items and then returning them soon after; or,
• Reports from other Servicemembers/Civilians

DITY Fraud can be investigated by CID, NCIS, or OSI, depending on the amount of money allegedly stolen. Alternatively, Military Police or Security Forces may also conduct the investigation.  Finally, these types of allegations can be investigated through a 15-6 investigation, Command investigation, or Commander Directed Investigation.

DITY Fraud is often encouraged by others and it is easy for newer Servicemembers to believe that it is not a big deal and will not result in adverse action. However, the culture of encouraging this type of fraud is dangerous, as the Military takes these allegations seriously. DITY Fraud can, and often does, result in Courts-Martial and/or administrative separation from the Service, as well as other adverse actions (ie reprimands or article 15s).

Any Servicemember accused of DITY Fraud should recognize that he/she could face jail time and that his/her career is in jeopardy. While Military JAGs are available to assist, they are often over-worked and inexperienced. Civilian Counsel can be retained, which allows a Servicemember to be represented by a proven lawyer with good former client reviews.

This Article was written by Attorney Matthew Barry. Attorney Barry is highly rated by former clients and has a proven track record of success. He has dealt extensively with DITY Fraud, and the consequences that can follow.

The Law Office of Matthew Barry represents Servicemembers worldwide. He has offices on the East Coast, West Coast, and in the Central U.S.