February 9, 2021
Good morning, welcome to Radioactivity. I’m Rob Lorei.
Ten years ago veteran investigative reporter Jeff Testerman uncovered a phony charity based in Ybor City.
It was a charity that raked in tens of millions of dollars every year— preying on Americans’ concerns over protecting and honoring veterans in the wake of 9/11. The US Navy Veteran’s Association—operated in most states and successfully eluded deep scrutiny or sanctions by the government.
How did the scam operate and what led to its downfall is the subject of Testerman’s new book CALL ME COMMANDER (Potomac Books) which Testerman co-wrote with Daniel Freed, a senior producer at CNBC.
Testerman uncovered the fraudulent charity when he was a reporter in 2009 for the then-St. Petersburg Times.
