As more Iraq and Afghanistan veterans come home to public fanfare and government benefits, an increasing number of imposters have come out of the woodwork trying to get a piece of the action, federal officials say.
“In this time of war, the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns are very respected, and there are people who want that respect and will try to get it without having earned it,” said James O’Neill, assistant inspector general for investigations at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
A Hixson man who is a former Tennessee National Guardsman and former member of the Tennessee State Guard has been charged with such fraud.
James Lynn Carr is accused by federal officials of knowingly wearing “decorations and medals authorized by Congress for the armed forces of the United States, and service medals and badges awarded to members of such forces” on April 4, 2006, according to a criminal charge document filed in U.S. District Court in Chattanooga late last week.
It is a misdemeanor violation of the federal Stolen Valor Act of 2005, which was signed into law in 2006 to expand a law already outlawing false representation of the Medal of Honor. Violators can be forced to pay a fine and/or serve up to a year in prison.
Mr. Carr, contacted at his home Friday, said he was aware of the charge against him but had no further comment.
Mary Schantage, a researcher on the board of directors of the Skidmore, Mo.-based POW Network, a nonprofit educational organization, tracks Stolen Valor Act violations across the country. She said she has logged about 3,000 violations but seen only about 200 violators actually collared for an offense.
“People have to realize we are not talking about the guy who just goes to the VFW and tells his war stories,” Ms. Schantage said. “We are talking about the guys that go into the schools and they’ve got their patches and their pins all set up and they are teaching these kids. A person being buried with these awards has earned a level of honor and respect that this guy is just trashing when he shows up.”
bilking benefits
Beyond seeking attention, many offenders also attempt to bilk money, special license plates and other benefits from the government, according to Mr. O’Neill, who collaborates with the FBI to investigate such cases.
Some of the agency’s arrests have been fairly high-profile, he said, including the 2007 takedown of then-Atlantic City, N.J., Mayor Robert Levy, who ultimately pleaded guilty to exaggerating his service in Vietnam to obtain increased benefits.
Officials have documented numerous cases of people exaggerating medical symptoms, Mr. O’Neill said, citing one case in which a man being paid for 100 percent blindness was caught driving a car.
“More common is fake paralysis,” he said. “Multiple times, we’ve videotaped individuals who have come out of their house carrying their wheelchair, loading it into their car, and then getting to the VA center and wheeling themselves across the parking lot.”
The relatively small volume of such fraudulent cases within all benefits claims has yet to cripple the system financially, Mr. O’Neill said. Of the 1,000 arrests the agency made last year, only 27 were related to this type of fraud, he said.
He estimated the total economic impact of such cases at less than a few million dollars — a relatively paltry figure compared to the $34.7 billion the VA paid out in compensation and pension benefits during fiscal year 2007.
targeting fraudsters
In Mr. Carr’s case, he served in the National Guard from December 1974 to April 1996, according to records obtained by POW Network. He was discharged at the rank of captain after having served with the 196th Field Artillery Brigade and the 278th Armored Cavalry Regiment.
He resigned from the Tennessee State Guard on April 29 of this year, citing health problems with a family member, according to Tennessee Guard public information officer Maj. Nathan James.
“He’s separated and a private citizen, and I can’t discuss any member or former member’s personnel file,” Maj. James said in response to a query about whether Mr. Carr ever had any disciplinary actions against him while in the service.
Ms. Schantage said she has been aware of Mr. Carr’s alleged fraud since 2006. She said she was pleased to hear about the charge filed against Mr. Carr because federal prosecutors have limited resources when it comes to prosecuting such cases.
“We’ve got more frauds than we’ve got FBI agents to handle these cases,” said Ms. Schantage, who works with the Inspector General’s Office and FBI regularly to report and track offenses.
Chattanooga FBI Special Agent Jim Melia, who investigated Mr. Carr’s case, said it is rare that Stolen Valor Act cases have made it through the court system here.
Mr. O’Neill said it’s extremely important to continue targeting the fraudsters.
“You don’t want the faith in the system to be undermined by the fakers. The (truthful) veterans have earned the right to these benefits,” he said.
Ed Galloway, supervisory senior resident agent at the FBI’s Chattanooga office, agreed.
“I think it’s extremely offensive to all members of the armed forces,” he said.
Ralph Helmericks, of Chattanooga, an 84-year-old Air Force veteran who served in World War II, said he was upset to hear about Mr. Carr’s alleged disrespect of the military’s special honors.
“I think it’s an awful cheap shot,” Mr. Helmericks said. “I think it’s terribly dishonest, and I don’t like it.”
Unfortunately, Ms. Schantage said, his case could be an unavoidable product of the times at hand, as the economy continues to falter and death tolls continue to mount in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“This country is so desperate for heroes these days that anyone can tell any story they want, and no one checks on them,” she said.
