Stolen Valor

[dogboy]

http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_S_webmedals.170ea85.html

A California man pleaded not guilty Thursday to wearing military medals that he never earned.

Prosecutors say 39-year-old Steven Burton, who was never in the military, was photographed wearing a Marine Corps uniform displaying the Navy Cross along with the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

The FBI was contacted after a Navy commander attending her high school reunion saw Burton wearing the uniform and medals.

[Eclipse]

More detail here:  http://forums.cadetstuff.org/viewtopic.php?f=37&t=13355&hilit=marine

[dogboy]

News photos show him impersonating a Marine Master Sergeant. Maybe it's an older picture and he promoted himself.

[NCRblues]

I really like the presidential service medallion. It's not like you can order them off vanguard. This uh hum "man" put a lot of prior thinking. Stupid %#$@%^

[Eclipse]

News photos show him impersonating a Marine Master Sergeant. Maybe it's an older picture and he promoted himself.

Interesting...

[Strick]

They should ship him out to PARIS ISLAND or Recruit Depot SD and let the DEVIL DOG DI'S introduce him to the USMC,

[C/MSgt Lunsford]

They should ship him out to PARIS ISLAND or Recruit Depot SD and let the DEVIL DOG DI'S introduce him to the USMC,

They really should, then he can really call himself a Marine.

[Flying Pig]

What I find interesting is that a lot of these guys attend military functions, with military personnel present and they dont get called on it.  That Burton guy was famouns because he jumped between a MGySgt and an Officer.  And they LOVE posing for photos.

I wish this guy would have showed up to the Marine Birthday celebration I attended on Nov 10 where a REAL Navy Cross reciepient was speaking.

http://www.pownetwork.org/phonies/phonies579.htm

...And, hes pleaded Not Guilty.  His defense, like the woman states in the article is that he was just dressing up and that he never received any benefit from it.  Basically, the "I never hurt anyone" defense.

[Gunner C]

News photos show him impersonating a Marine Master Sergeant. Maybe it's an older picture and he promoted himself.

Interesting...

I work with a retired USMC Sgt Maj who has a Navy Cross.  He'd kick his a$$, stomp a mud hole in his chest, and walk it dry.

Epic Fail!

[Dad2-4]

They should ship him out to PARIS ISLAND or Recruit Depot SD and let the DEVIL DOG DI'S introduce him to the USMC,

Forward his photos to the DIs first!
And have them call him "Gunny" all the way through. And don't let him fail. Recycle as many times as needed.

[C/MSgt Lunsford]

News photos show him impersonating a Marine Master Sergeant. Maybe it's an older picture and he promoted himself.

Interesting...

...He'd kick his a$$, stomp a mud hole in his chest, and walk it dry.

Interesting. I would pay money to see that happen to that lousy excuse for life.

[AirAux]

Along the same lines, I read of a recent poll that stated over 11,000,000 people claimed they were Viet Nam vets (that served in Nam), however, I think the poll said that in reality there were somewhere between 1,000,000-2,000,000 actual vets that served in country.  What's with that??

[C/MSgt Lunsford]

Found some more pics of the scum

[Flying Pig]

Id like to know who was taking the photos.

[flyguy06]

So, this cat went from being a Master Gunnery Sergeant to being a Lt Col? Did no one pick up on this or something?

[dogboy]

Man pleads guilty to wearing medals

In a plea agreement, a Palm Springs man pleaded guilty Monday at Riverside's federal court to wearing unauthorized military medals.

Steven Burton could face up to a year in federal prison after his conviction on one misdemeanor charge. No agreement was made regarding Burton's potential sentence.

http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_S_briefs15.15cdb4f.html

My comment: pretty unusual to enter a guilty plea without a sentencing agreement. But here's what ABC says:

As far as Burton's sentencing range, that's up to the judge.

"The presumption is entirely left to the judge," said Michael DeFrank, Burton's defense attorney. "The sentence can be anywhere from zero to 12 months. There is no mandatory-minimum or anything that requires the judge to sentence Mr. Burton to federal prison."

Burton will return to federal court in downtown Riverside on March 1 at 9 a.m. for sentencing.

The prosecutor said that in federal court, sentencing is up to the judge. He said the agreement that he has with the defendant is that the judge will come up with a sentence range probably under that maximum of a year, and the prosecutors will ask for the lower end of that range.

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/inland_empire&id=7171196

[Flying Pig]

Again, Im callin' probation.

[Майор Хаткевич]

Unless the Judge did some time in the Corps?

[PHall]

I think Flying Pig is correct about this clown getting probation.

The perp pled guilty and he wasn't trying to make money from his fraud.

He's probably looking at several years of probation, a fine and probably some community service time.

I would suggest that he do the community service at a VA Hospital so he could meet some "real" heroes.

[Camas]

Along the same lines, I read of a recent poll that stated over 11,000,000 people claimed they were Viet Nam vets (that served in Nam), however, I think the poll said that in reality there were somewhere between 1,000,000-2,000,000 actual vets that served in country.  What's with that??

I wouldn't dispute the figures but I have it on good authority that the "fakes" are out there in droves nationwide. Not only are those who've never served but then there are the ones with the "Vietnam Veteran" baseballs caps who might have served during that period but never served anywhere in Southeast Asia. Those guys are just as fraudulent as those who've never served.