Category: Phony soldiers

Don Shipley takes to YouTube with a teaser about phony SEAL Rear Admiral Robert Howard Dunn;

In Oceola, Florida, Vanessa Tesky wanted a new Dodge Ram pickup truck – so she presented the car dealer with a military ID card for the discount claiming that she was an Air Force pilot earning $7000/month. She wrote about $60,000 in checks for the truck. The checks bounced, of course;

Detectives found Tesky in Osceola on Wednesday with a new Toyota. She told detectives she wasn’t an active member of the military, but said she is a dependent of her ex-husband, who is in the U.S. Air Force. She also claimed there was over $60,000 left in the bank account attached to the dealership’s check.

Investigators found checkbooks from USAA Bank, a military dependent ID card and a letter written to a Ford dealership that claims she is a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force.

Dave Hardin wrote about Arthur Murray last month on tips from our Stolen Valour-Canada brothers. Murray was the first vice-president of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 297 where he handed in his resignation to president Linda Fisher according to the Cornwall Standard-Freeholder.

“My first feeling when hearing about this was disbelief,” said Ron Racine, the Legion’s third vice-president and its membership chairman. “He (Murray) knows a lot of military information, so I was really in shock when I found out everything there (on This Ain’t Hell) was true, I couldn’t believe it.”

Murray was a Legion member for 14 years, which made the news even more difficult to accept.

“It’s hard because it’s like a family here,” said Racine, confirming Murray has also turned in his membership.

Racine noted that Murray was accepted as a Legion member because “he had been in the military – he had proof of that. Because of that background, he could become a member. (But) we don’t ask for full military background.”

From the Cornwall Seaway News;

All of the members of the Legion Branch 297 Executive Committee said that they were shocked by the revelations of about Murray.

“His own family didn’t even know,” said Bernadette Heagle, the new First Vice President at the Legion. “He was always very knowledgeable so why would you question it?”

“We have the guy outside and he knew everything about it,” said Ron Racine. “Its almost as if his life revolved around the military.”

Linda Fisher says that the Legion acted swiftly when it learned about the revelations about Murray, but that they only found out about it because a legion member saw the post on Facebook. No one formally notified the Legion.

But stolen valor (or valour) is a victimless crime.

Last month, we told you how TAH contributed to the arrest of Kyle Barwan and the hits keep coming for the karma-impaired liar, according to WFLA;

Polk County Sheriff’s deputies filed additional charges of soliciting funds/misrepresenting military service and tampering with a witness against Polk County Jail inmate Kyle Barwan.

Barwan was arrested on Jan. 25 after he pretended to be a military officer and solicited money from a woman he met online.

Another victim came forward after seeing Barwan was in jail, saying she also met him on the website “Plenty of Fish.”

Barwan told her that he was in the United States Army Special Forces as a Green Beret and had just been promoted to the rank of Captain. He also said he worked for the CIA as a paid mercenary and he had several “hits” in the Lakeland area. Barwan told the victim he had been deployed to Afghanistan and Germany.

He bummed money from this woman, too, because, you know, Army Captains don’t make that much money to pay their phone bills and to buy computer programs.

The victim said she stopped talking to Barwan near the end of October, as she felt he was lying to her. She ignored his calls and texts, until one day, he sent her a text message stating; “Fine don’t want to answer than I’m going to your house” followed by a message that said “see you there.”

The victim replied to Barwan’s text, telling him to stay away from her home, to which he responded with a winking emoji and “You’ll do what? Call the police ha lol good luck with that you’ll find out that im way too connected.”

Yeah, well, he’s “connected” now.

All the credit goes to Frankie, though. He’s been following Barwan for years and he was the reason the sheriff’s department got involved.

Augusta’s MetroSpirit wrote yet another article about Columbia County Board of Education member Mike Sleeper who Dave Hardin profiled last month. Sleeper claimed in several venues to be a former Army Ranger, but his FOIA says he was a grunt in Alaska for 33 months when his 48-month term of service ended abruptly as a private and it wasn’t followed by the customary four years of Reserve service.

According to the article, Columbia County Board of Education Chairman David Dekle asked Sleeper to verify his claims in a public meeting the other day;

“Mr. Sleeper, for the good of the Columbia County School District, I respectfully ask that you provide a full and complete explanation of your military service without further delay,” Dekle said. “Please confirm that you are in fact a former Army Ranger, having completed the necessary requirements to legitimately claim that distinction– that you did in fact earn your Ranger Tab or Scroll during your period of service. If not, please correct the record and end this distraction so that this Board may return its full attention to the business at hand.”

Typical of the Mike Sleeper with whom I’ve had contact, he responded;

“Honestly, I just at the moment, pity you,” Sleeper told Dekle. “That’s all I have to say.”

If that isn’t shedding some light on Sleeper and his military service, nothing will.

Sleeper had the opportunity to speak up and defend his military record.

If he is a Ranger, say it loud and say it proud.

Find someone, anyone, to corroborate your military service. Show some kind of evidence. Any kind of valid evidence.

Instead, Sleeper verbally attacked the person asking questions. That kind of response will get him nowhere fast. It shows he’s vulnerable and that he’s trying to shame those seeking the truth.

Yeah, Sleeper has emailed me and left messages on my phone demanding that I take down the post about him based on nothing, claiming that he has documentation. But I’ve received nothing – no documentation, no proof.

I hear from locals that his Father-in-law, Ron Cross, a County Commissioner, has always protected him with a Boss Hog heavy handedness. Locals are afraid of Boss Hog, but they want Sleeper gone.

Our friends at Stolen Valour-Canada send us their work on this Arthur Leonard fellow.

Leonard came to the attention of Stolen Valour-Canada (SV-C) when we were asked to comment upon photographic images of him attending military and veteran oriented ceremonies in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario. According to multiple sources, Leonard claimed to be a long serving Military Police member who was wounded in action during combat operations in Kandahar in 2003. He also stated he had completed deployed operations in Cyprus and in the Balkans where he witnessed ethnic cleansing and due to the rules of engagement, he was left powerless to intervene.

SV-C conducted a thorough review of all available records including websites, newspaper articles, photographic images, searchable data bases of medal recipients and extracts from military documents in Canada in order to determine the legitimacy of his claims. The first document we uncovered was the newsletter of Region 2 Canada of the International Police Association dated March 2016. The lead article titled “A Military Veteran’s Personal Journey with Combat-Related PTSD” is a most amazing story detailing the life of a wounded veteran suffering the effects of a penetrating head wound/traumatic brain injury and PTSD. He details his struggle from emerging from a comatose state after aeromedical flight to Canada, his long term rehabilitation and the positive impact a service dog had on his daily life…

Unfortunately, his narrative doesn’t match the time line! The first red flag, claiming to have been wounded in action in Kandahar Province in 2003 and, taken to the “military wing” of Mir Wais Hospital in Kandahar City. Anyone who knows of Canada’s experience in Afghanistan, will realize that “MP Sergeants” weren’t in Kandahar Province during that time frame nor were they tasked on missions to arrest criminal/terrorists! In fact, Canada’s main effort was taking place in the Kabul area until December 2005!

Coalition casualties, would have been treated at the then US lead Combat Support Hospital located on Kandahar Airfield… The description of his injuries is amateurish at best, and his story of being held in comatose state for 30 days in a German hospital is a complete fabrication according to individuals who were intimately involved in the movement of wounded Canadian Forces personnel by aeromedical evacuation resources during the time frame!

Secondly, the medals pictured in the IPA article do not match the medals he is wearing, Leonard claims to have served 3 tours in the former Yugoslavia under a United Nations mandate yet, he wears the NATO medal… The article states “Sgt. Art Leonard has been acknowledged for his exemplary military police service with a number of prestigious medals, including: the Canadian Forces Decoration (CD) with bar; the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal; the UNPROFOR medal (3 tours); the Cyprus medal (2 tours) the Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan; and the Canadian Forces Sacrifice Medal [Canadian equivalent to the Purple Heart Medal]”

In his own words, “ My life was haunted with flashbacks, sleepless nights, cold sweats and anxiety from living through some of the darkest, most terrifying experiences that a person could ever endure………despite a chest full of medals for my service, I had hit rock bottom; I had reached a point of not caring to live anymore”. “For a long time I blamed myself for failing as a Soldier. I would think that if I hadn’t been injured my family wouldn’t have left me, and my career in the military would still be intact. Instead, I was left alone ……..fighting to stay alive after several suicide attempts.”

Aware of his on-going struggles with combat-related PTSD, friends from the Royal Canadian Legion in Newmarket, Ontario, realized the positive health benefits a service dog could provide. They contacted Nicole Taylor, founder of United by Trauma, to enquire about a PTSD Service Dog for him – a program United by Trauma offers to first responders, including military veterans, in partnership with In Canis Speramus. In support of this highly decorated military veteran, the Hamilton Police Association generously donated $5,000.00 towards the costs of training a service dog.

The reality- Leonard was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces from 1981-1986. He completed recruit training, was a Naval Ops tradesman for a period of time and then re-mustered to the Military Police. On completion of his Regular Force service he joined the Reserve Force where he failed to achieve any further occupational / operational training or be promoted beyond the rank of Private.

Leonard’s tales of multiple overseas deployments and being Wounded in Action are a complete fabrication, and he has absolutely no entitlement to any of the the medals he sports! It’s SV-Cs opinion that Leonard is likely committing an offence under s419 of the Criminal Code of Canada – “Unlawful use of military uniforms or certificates”. An offence that several individuals have been recently tried and convicted in Ontario including Clayton Donoghue, Franck Gervais, Donald Lemmond & Eric Janssens.

His reprehensible actions, particularly the wearing of the Sacrifice Medal are yet another example of why Stolen Valour claims are so outrageous and injurious to those who actually served. Leonard made a choice to stand in the blood of our wounded and fallen, and for that he should pay a significant price!

In January, Michele Bocci, was outed as a phony Marine by his local media. He had used his phony persona to attract donations from locals;

A KGW investigation has identified more than two dozen people, including members of community groups, churches and police agencies, who reached out to help Bocci. They provided money, food or other types of assistance.

Apparently, he didn’t like the fame that came with being busted and he tried to change his name in court the other day;

Michele Bocci filed a petition to officially change his name to Michael McDougal.

In court Wednesday, Circuit Court Judge John Collins denied the request.

“Because of information brought to the court’s attention that there might be some fraudulent activities and misrepresentation that you may have been involved in the collection of funds,” explained Judge Collins.

[…]

Bocci claimed he was a combat veteran; a U.S. Marine who was left to care for his two young children after his wife died in childbirth. A KGW investigation found more than two dozen people, including members of community groups, churches and police agencies, who reached out to help Bocci. They provided money, food or other types of assistance.

The U.S. Department of Defense confirmed Bocci never served in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Good on KGW for busting him and good on Judge Collins for helping to hold his stankin’ feet to the fire he created for himself.