Metro

A Martinsburg couple is each facing more than 100 felony charges after allegedly stealing more than $200,000 from VFW Post 43 in Martinsburg.

Jason Caruso, 54, and Patricia Ann Caruso, 42, were arraigned Friday by Magisterial District Judge Andrew L. Blattenberger on 100 felony counts of identity theft and two felony counts each of theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception, receiving stolen property, unauthorized access to a device, knowledge that property is the proceeds of an illegal act and corrupt organizations. They remain free on respective unsecured $400,000 bails.

A nearly yearlong investigation began into the finances of Martinsburg’s VFW Post 43 on May 2, 2025, when the District 22 VFW commander contacted Martinsburg police about suspected theft. The District 22 commander told officers that in February 2025, the Post 43 commander stated he suspected the Post’s bar manager, Patricia Caruso, and the Post’s quartermaster and treasurer, Jason Caruso, of stealing money from the Post’s skills machines, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Following a board meeting by Post 43 on March 9, 2025, the board asked VFW District 22 to conduct an internal investigation into the Carusos role regarding the stolen money. The subsequent investigation found that the Post’s skills machines were short about $108,866 and that the Carusos were the only people with access to the machines. It was then discovered that the Carusos had generated 82 checks payable to Patricia Caruso from the Post’s bank accounts for their own personal expenses totaling about $51,076. An expert handwriting analysis determined 24 of the 82 checks were forged by Patricia Caruso, the police report states.

Further investigation uncovered about $8,578 paid to Patricia Caruso’s personal credit cards and cash withdrawals of about $23,000 disguised as cash donations being made to various organizations. The Post also incurred about $4,194 in bank fees, spent $4,800 for the handwriting analysis and $700 to change the Post’s locks for a total loss of about $201,017 caused by the Carusos, the report states.

The Carusos are scheduled for preliminary hearings April 30 in front of Blattenberger.