Veterans agency counselor quits amid probe

A longtime Nassau Veterans Services Agency counselor who allegedly failed to submit 97 claims for benefits to the Department of Veterans Affairs, some dating back six years, resigned Friday amid a county investigation.

Robert Spicer, who has worked at the agency since 1996, left his position before an afternoon disciplinary hearing with county labor officials. A 64-year-old Vietnam veteran, Spicer was accused of neglecting to mail in approximately 200 compensation forms for nearly 100 veterans or family members who had sought benefits assistance from the county. The bulk of the claims are from the past year, although a few go back to 2005.

Most of the documentation, including forms for widows benefits, were found in April, filled out and sitting in two cardboard boxes near Spicer's desk, said Michael Kilbride Sr., director of the five-person agency since February.

The VA is expediting the claims and it appears all applications will be honored, Kilbride said.

Nassau officials said the county could face lawsuits from applicants who have waited months and years for their benefits.

"We accept that there may be negative effects on people," said Dan Schor, deputy director of labor relations.

Through the Civil Service Employees Association, Spicer declined to comment on the allegations. During the closed 45-minute meeting, Spicer attributed his actions to a high workload that caused him to juggle multiple tasks, government and union sources said.

Spicer, who will be subject to an undisclosed financial penalty as part of his resignation, will be eligible to keep his pension, Schor said.

The Nassau County attorney's office is also considering legal action against former VSA acting director Patrick Yngstrom, who was Spicer's supervisor when most of the forms were not submitted. It is unclear what actions Nassau could take against Yngstrom, who was ousted earlier this year in a move that many veterans groups decried as political.

"He was the director of the unit and is ultimately responsible," said Brian Nevin, spokesman for Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano.

Reached at home Friday, Yngstrom suggested that he was the victim of a political "witch hunt" and that he would fight any charges the county may bring against him.

"Did I stand over . . . [Spicer] with a whip in my hand?" Yngstrom said. "No. I expect the job to get done."

Yngstrom considered Spicer an able employee who was known for assisting his colleagues. Nonetheless, he said 97 outstanding benefits claims "was an ungodly number" that was "unacceptable."

Kilbride, Yngstrom and others said Spicer was a well-respected employee with a reputation for taking on additional duties. But county officials said Spicer did not keep up with his workload and sometimes did not return the phone calls of applicants seeking information on their claims.

"One vet was calling twice a month looking for Spicer," said Brian Nugent, Nassau's director of government operations. "After 10 months, he got a different counselor who found the forms on Spicer's desk."

After discovering the files, Kilbride drove them to a Manhattan VA office only days before the eligibility of some applicants was set to expire.