Fake Navy SEAL Pleads Guilty to 'Stolen Valor'

[left-of-center2012]

(Stolen valor is a term for the behavior of military impostors: individuals who lie about their military service)

Richard Meleski, 58, of Chalfont, Pennsylvania, has plead guilty to defrauding the Department of Veterans Affairs by pretending to be a Navy SEAL, a Silver Star recipient and a prisoner of war for the purpose of gaining over $300,000 worth of free healthcare. The charges include healthcare fraud, stolen valor, and abetting illicit gun purchases and receiving money for post-traumatic stress he claimed to suffer from after serving in Beirut where he alleged that had rescued other wounded troops.

He claimed to have been involved in an 18-hour hostile takeover in which he became a POW, was shot, beaten and tortured. He claimed to have been hospitalized in Germany for his injuries which included a crushed hand and shrapnel. He also stated that he injured his knee when he jumped out of a window with a dead SEAL on his back.

Because Meleski claimed to have been a POW, he received benefits “completely free with no copay or premiums” before actual veterans who had actual need for them.

Meleski has yet to be sentenced. According to the DOJ, he faces a maximum of 68 years in prison, a fine of $2.25 million and additional restitution of $302,121.21. It has not been confirmed how Meleski’s voluntary guilty plea will affect the sentence.

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/news/stolen-valor.html

[Thomas Hurt]

1. scumbag...wonder if he is trumper.

[DURHAM D]

2. Why do these winger men always look alike? nt

[Me.]

3. Don't They Check When People Make Claims?

[cbabe]

6. A marine vet

I know has been trying to prove his service record for over 20 years to receive benefits.

Denial of benefits is a fairly common story.

Someone must have pushed this guy through. Kickbacks?

[TheRealNorth]

4. Putting aside the lying....

If we believe it is okay to lie because of "free speech", why isn't this a free speech issue? Lying about military service doesn't put people at risk.

[PBC_Democrat]

7. It WAS a free speech issue untill ...

He received something of value.

You can tell lies at the bar to get women but when accept a free drink based on your lie - it becomes a crime.

[Mariana]

9. Then it should be considered just plain old fraud. nt.

[left-of-center2012]

8. There is this, which he did ...

The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 was signed by President Barack Obama on June 3, 2013. The Act makes it a federal crime to fraudulently claim to be a recipient of certain military decorations or medals in order to obtain money, property, or other tangible benefit.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stolen_Valor_Act_of_2005#:~:text=The%20Stolen%20Valor%20Act%20of%202013%20was%20signed%20by%20President,property%2C%20or%20other%20tangible%20benefit.

[Baked Potato]

5. That's a whole lotta bullshitting.

Seems like a “catch me if you can” guy. Hopefully the VA relies on more than just a DD 214 and some “war stories” nowadays.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

10. "A DD 214 and some war stories". That's probably more than the VA could find about me.

No war stories here, except for some tales of Oktoberfest.

The DD214 is a xerox of a xerox of a form filled out on a manual typewriter over fifty years ago.

On the other hand, that clown has some hutzpah. SEAL participation and Silver Stars are both fairly well documented.

I don't know how he'll pay back 300K. Maybe a go-fund-me page, haha.

[Baked Potato]

11. I know there was that fire in DC I think

that destroyed a crap load of service files. In ‘82 I was TDY in Germany at Bad Toelz doing PLDC at the NCO academy and my class was tagged to go and set up a big Oktoberfest tent and provide labor, but couldn’t participate, that was close as I got. Then, back to Turkey.

Yep, my 214 was hand typed. I do have Bill Clinton’s signature on my Goodbye papers Lol.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

14. The only "goodbye" paper I remember is the 214. On the other hand, ...

... my letter of "Greetings", AKA Draft Notice, had LBJ's signature.

There were a lot of records destroyed in a fire at St Louis.
https://www.va.gov/records/get-military-service-records/reconstruct-records/

[dsp3000]

12. You would think the us military has better record keeping

Seriously how did he get through the front door of the VA?

[Baked Potato]

13. At his age, all the records should be on microfiche.

Maybe even digitized by now. This would include the original enlistment physical he would have taken. Something is really fishy on this one. Any claims normally need to be backed up with evidence. Almost like he did identify theft.

[Demovictory9]

15. He also stated that he injured his knee when he jumped out of a window with a dead SEAL on his back