Tman sends us a link to what I consider to be the creepiest phony vet story ever. You need a program to follow the story which seems to be several years old, but it’s the first time I’ve read it.
If you want to be surprised when you read the whole story, don’t read the following;
But basically, a middle aged guy pretended to be a young deployed Marine on the internet, seduced a teenage girl, pissed off his wife who blew the whistle on him, the teenage girl still clung to the dude. A third guy fell for the teenage age girl, the first guy shoots him, an investigator goes to the girl’s home and discovers that the teenage girl is really a dumpy middle age woman.
It sounds like an episode of CSI doesn’t it?
Some people just have too much time on their hands.
1AirCav69 sends news that Bill Hillar, who I wrote about in November was finally arrested by the FBI. Hillar told students and teachers how he was the model for the Liam Neeson character in “Taken” who rescued his daughter from sex traders.
For years Hillar allegedly scammed universities, non-profit groups and law enforcement organizations by claiming his daughter was kidnapped by human traffickers in Asia and that he spent months in a failed effort to rescue her. He parlayed his “expertise” and faux Army Special Forces career into thousands of dollars in teaching and lecture fees.
Yeah, he was a Coast Guard dude, not that there’s anything wrong with that, but the Coast Guard is a long ways away from a Special Forces colonel.
But his cover story began falling apart last year when the military veteran students Hillar was teaching in California began questioning his background….
Because it wasn’t until he talked to some veteran students that someone noticed there was something wrong with a hokey story like that? I blame Hollywood. There should be some kind of special training for people to get before they’re allowed to watch movies.
The Grand Rapids Press reports that Tran is subject to deportation after he completes his sentence. He faces up to three years in prison for impersonating an agent for U.S. Immigration and Customs, and one year for unauthorized wearing of a Purple Heart.
Tran’s attorney, Scott Mertens, says his client did not believe he was subject to deportation prior to the criminal charges.
Kentwood police say Tran, who speaks fluent Vietnamese and is a Vietnamese citizen, collected thousands of dollars from the Vietnamese community in the Grand Rapids area.
Police say he promised local Vietnamese citizens immigration papers and other benefits, up to full naturalization.
It was probably the fraud that made him eligible for deportation, but they ought to deport everyone who pretends to be a veteran.
After being struck in the face and head by shrapnel while on patrol in Iraq in 2005, Aaron Joshua Lawless performed first aid on a fellow injured soldier and returned fire to the enemy from a damaged gun before being struck by an improvised explosive device, later winning a Purple Heart and Silver Star for his bravery.
At least, that’s how Lawless recounted his time in Iraq to his employer, a Maryland gun store, and the Glock gun company, which decided to honor Lawless as their 2008 “Glock Hero,” awarding the 25-year-old and his wife a paid trip to Las Vegas, two Glock guns and a crystal glass trophy, a package worth $3,505.91.
Lawless did serve in the Marines, according to his military records — but for 35 days, discharged in June 2003 for not disclosing an injury to his right knee before joining the force, the affidavit said.
It didn’t end with the tale, Lawless went on to claim that he earned four Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and two Bronze Star Medals and the VFW recommended him to his employer, Atlantic Guns in Silver Spring, MD.
Wake Forest police say Skellion posed as a veteran from October 2008 to February 2010 and cheated the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars out of more than $1,500.
Frank Stancil, department adjutant with the American Legion in Raleigh, said officials found out that Skellion was asking for money while dressed a soldier in front of a Wake Forest Walmart.
They say that, when Skellion applied to be a member of a VFW post in Raleigh and said he had won five of the military’s top medals, red flags went up.
Bruce Edwards, quartermaster of the VFW of North Carolina, said Edwards applied to be a member in June and presented himself as a decorated war veteran with several Silver Stars and Bronze Stars.
“It was kind of suspicious-looking, because there were so many,” Edwards said.
According to the video, Skellion has been perpetrating this fraud on the American public since he was booted from the military after basic training 25 years ago. He was also the local VFW post historian and ran an online charity.
Well, at least no one was hurt…well, besides the American Legion, the VFW, the Department of Veterans Affairs, all of his donors on line and at WalMart.
UPDATE: From TSO, here’s the DD214 the assmonkey used to perpetrate his fraud;
Sweet. He served in Operation Iraqi Freedom while it was on a road trip to Afghanistan. And he was in Desert Shield/Storm a month before Hussein invaded Kuwait. What instincts! He must’ve been the only US soldier in Somalia for those dates. How brave! And look, he has the Army Airborne Jumpmaster Badge – as opposed to the Army Non-Airborne Jumpmaster Badge. 3rd award of the Southwest Asia Service Medal? How many times did we fight DS/DS? He sure liked those Unit Awards, too. No High School or GED…we don’t need no steenkin’ edjumacation.
We have another fake that we only know as Ray we need help with finding a full name for. Even before you read anything about him you should notice the United Nations Korea Medal on the third row from the bottom on the right. More so when his stated age is only 48. If he was really in Korea he would have to be about double that age now.
I’m VERY SURE that you’ll get comments saying “That’s the guy from the BUD/S 234 Discovery Channel Video.”
I trained Class 234 after BUD/S in Demolitions and at first glance I thought it was him as well; BUT IT IS NOT…
A VERY close resemblance, have confidence that is NOT HIM when others inquire…
UPDATE: Army records say C.J. Whittington left the Army as an E-4 and his MOS was 92F, which is a petroleum supply specialist, serving with the 27th CS MSB, 4th BCT, 1st Cavalry (now Armored). His record does not reflect he received a Purple Heart or a Combat Action Badge. Army Times has interviewed Whittington, and he said he was not an infantry squad leader, but that he held a dual MOS: 11B and 92F. Thought y’all would want to know.
I guess the article is in the print edition of the Army Times and I can’t get to it (because I don’t want to contribute to Rick Maze’ paycheck). Honestly, I’m getting sick and tired of questioning everybody’s service. Can’t I take anyone at their word anymore? I hope Charles Whittington gets throat punched. And stays supended from college and ends up filling ketchup dispensers at some greasy diner for the rest of his life.
