(Image source from: 21 Arizona Air National Guardsmen booked in $1.4 million scam)

21 members of the Arizona Air National Guard have been booked in a $1.4 million scam.  Several former and current members have been indicted for  theft and money laundering to defraud the federal government.

"The eight officers and 13 enlisted men and women, including the colonel and former commander of the 214 Reconnaissance Group, falsified their records and used fake home addresses in order to receive money meant for those traveling outside of their home regions for duty assignments," Arizona Attorney General Tom Horne said.

Between November 2007 and September 2010, the defendants  withdrew salaries that were up to five times their original salaries.

“Some of the suspects defrauded the government of more than $100,000 each,” Horne said.

"In this case, all of these people lived in Tucson and put down fraudulent homes of record in other states" to qualify for the extra pay, Horne added.

The indictment  was released following an 18-month long investigation by state and federal agencies.

AW: Suchorita Dutta Choudhury