Posted on 12/02/2014 9:26:58 AM PST by jazusamo
A man accused of donning an Army uniform and posing as a decorated Ranger during a Black Friday shopping trip to a Philadelphia mall — and whose confrontation with a military official was recorded on a video that’s since gone viral — could possibly face criminal charges.
Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick, a lawmaker for the Middletown district in Pennsylvania, has sent a letter to U.S. Attorney Zane Memeger to see if the faker — who introduces himself as Shawn in the video and whose last name is ostensibly displayed on the patch on his uniform — could be charged with violations of the Stolen Valor Act of 2013, if it’s proven that he was faking his service, the Bucks County Courier-Times reported.
The law, co-sponsored by Mr. Fitzpatrick, criminalizes the act of portraying one self as the recipient of military medals if the intent of doing so is to obtain money, property or another “tangible benefit,” the text states. Stores sometimes give members of the military discounts for their service.
It’s not yet clear if the man in the mall was faking his military service.
But a video that’s been seen more than 1.5 million times since Black Friday shows him fielding several questions from Northampton resident Ryan Berk, 26. Mr. Berk recorded the encounter and said he’s actually served as a sergeant in the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2011.
Mr. Berk, who’s studying criminal justice at Temple University — and who earned a Purple Heart after he was injured by shrapnel during a fire-fight in Afghanistan — said he came across the man in Army fatigues while shopping in a shoe store, the Bucks County Courier-Times said.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Initially, yes, but BHO signed another one back in 2009, I believe.
My apologies, I misspoke. SCOTUS struck down the SVA that GWB signed back in 2012 under US v. Alvarez. Another SVA was written and signed by BHO in 2013 that made it a crime to gain from the act.
SCOTUS argued that you can’t be prosecuted for simply saying you were something you were not, but you could be if you gained from that fraud.
When I was in the Corps (81 -85) it was absolutely verboten to ever appear in public in cammies. You didn’t even pump gas in cammies.
Thanks for the link to the video.
The real soldier is a moron for cussing in that manner.
He also lost his cool.
I agree....saw a Marine in full dress at a dance club a few years back. IMO pathetic....but hey maybe the standards have changed?
I believe height and weight standards are a little different today, but thirty years ago this guy would have been in a “fat boy” program and either made his weight or been put out of the Army.
A “fat boy” Ranger? Not even in today’s “Modern Volunteer Army.”
Ah, yes, Corporal-Captain O’Reilly...
When I was in (1968-1975) we were not allowed BDU’s (or fatigues) unless stopping at a fast food restaurant, gas station, picking up your kid, or downtown in the combat area you were stationed at. I don’t think MOA would be acceptable, but I’ve been out for a quarter century. Shiite, almost a HALF century.
How do we know that the video’d guy wasn’t legit, and the OTHER fellow, the one recording, wasn’t the fraud???!?
The veteran that videoed this is named in the article, Ryan Berk. If he’s the phony he’s a real idiot. :)
You’re kidding right?
He’s real.They interviewed him last night and then went over to the fake guys house and knocked on his door but he didn’t answer.
I cannot stand frauds that accuse other people of fraud.
I live down the road from a United States Army Reserve Center in Garden Grove, Ca. and the men and women are often out in their fatigues getting a haircut or food, whatever. I have no issue with them wearing what I assume are their duty uniforms when the are off base, it’s not like their trading off their service or anything like this fake was.
Most of the posters on that thread don’t seem to have a problem with the challenger’s authenticity. The fatbody was a big giveaway and not knowing how badges and tabs were to be worn is unbelievable for a SSgt.
Good work. There are highly likely a couple of those characters in my area, too—both lefties, proudly claiming to be pagan potheads and full of conspiracy stories. They show contempt for real prior servicemen. It appears that local employers and government folks (also counter-culture types) prefer them for employment.
“Please just put the patches away. They shouldn’t be misused by sewing them onto non regulation locations or on personal gear.”
Haven’t you seen Lt Col West with his biker leather vest with his unit patches on? You can go on line and buy a baseball cap with any unit patch, I got one myself.
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