TOMBALL, Texas — A disabled veteran who had been beaten, robbed and in danger of losing his VA housing got some great news Friday.
Since March, we've been sharing Roma "Joe" Whitten's story. He's a disabled vet who was scammed out of thousands of dollars by people he says he was trying to help.
According to investigators with the Harris County Sheriff's Office, not only was he scammed, but the three people who moved into his Tomball home were arrested for trashing the home, beating him and stealing his money.
Whitten moved into VA housing after this ordeal, but not too long after, his caretaker found out he wouldn't be able to stay at the VA housing because he didn't meet the requirements for that level of care.
But on Friday, Whitten's caretaker got some good news that he desperately needed. The VA said they found an error in his file dating back to 1993, and they were awarding him $44,000 and raising his disability rating to 70% -- a rating he needed to keep his VA housing.
"What a happy ending, it would not have happened without your news coverage," said Patty Hallas, his caretaker.
Before Whitten received this good news, a nonprofit called "Combined Arms" responded after seeing his story on KHOU 11 News and stepped in to advocate for Whitten.
"I am elated, he is getting what veterans like him deserve to get, us taking care of them, that's what they are supposed to have," said Hallas. "They gave up their lives and their health for us so that we can be free and with the 4th of July coming up, it's going to be amazing."
Whitten's story was made public all thanks Hallas. She called police and Adult Protective Services when she noticed Whitten, who was a long-time customer at her car repair shop, needed help.
The VA said they are continuing to evaluate Whitten's case for even more benefits. Because of the PACT Act President Biden signed last year, he could be eligible for even more compensation.
The Department of Veterans Affairs released the following statement to KHOU 11 News Friday night: “After reviewing Mr. Whitten’s compensation and pension file, we discovered an error was made many years ago. We sincerely regret this mistake and offer our deepest apologies to Mr. Whitten and his family. We have notified Mr. Whitten of his updated VA rating and substantial back pay, to include possible additional VA benefits. We will look further into this incident and take steps to ensure that it does not occur again.”
If you have a problem you can’t solve, Grace White wants to help. She fights for consumers and is passionate about getting answers and solving problems for Texans.