CONCORD - A Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in federal court to defrauding a nonprofit health care provider to obtain funds designated for reducing suicide rates among veterans, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.

David Duren, a/k/a Dawud Hakiem Duren, 48, pleaded guilty to wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for October 10, 2024.

Duren was a program manager for a nonprofit health care provider in Nashua, New Hampshire. He was in charge of overseeing a program funded by a $750,000 Staff Sergeant Fox Suicide Prevention Grant. The grant was awarded by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to provide treatment and services to veterans at risk of suicide. At Duren's recommendation, the health care provider hired a company called "E3 Foundation" to provide services funded by the Staff Sergeant Fox grant. E3 Foundation was in turn purportedly led by a "Dr. Michael Rapp." However, unbeknownst to the health care provider, Duren controlled E3 Foundation and was pretending to be "Dr. Michael Rapp" on emails and calls.

Duren was able to fraudulently obtain almost $50,000 in Staff Sergeant Fox program funds and tried to obtain an additional $25,000 before being discovered. He used a website called "Invoice Generator" to create fake invoices. Duren and E3 Foundation also did not provide the services and products that he billed for.

The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

The Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of the Inspector General and Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.

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