Judge orders public shaming for fake vets

#Middlebury #Veterans

Two not-too-bright Montana men tried to pretend they were veterans, one even claiming he’d served seven combat tours. They weren’t trying to claim benefits. What they wanted was to have their criminal cases moved to the Veterans Treatment Court with the hope they’d get lighter sentences.

Once their scam was revealed, one of them was sentenced to 10 years in prison with three years suspended. The other was sentenced to five years with two years suspended. The district court judge, however, wasn’t letting it go at that.

Before they can be eligible for parole, both men have to hand write the names of all 6,700 American service members killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. They have to write letters of apology to veterans’ groups such as the American Legion and Disabled American Veterans. They also have to hand-copy the obituaries of the 40 Montanans killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once they get out, they need to do 441 hours of community service, one hour for every Montanan killed in combat since the Korean War.

Then there’s the signs. Once they get out of prison, both men have to visit the Montana Veterans Memorial twice a year for the time their sentences were suspended, wearing a sign that says, “I am a liar. I am not a veteran. I stole valor. I have dishonored all veterans.”

Both men objected to wearing the sign. Of course they did. They can write names and letters of apology in private in their prison cells. The signs, worn out in public, will show everyone just what kind of men they really are. The judge, however, held firm, citing case law that shows he could impose that sentence.

What they apparently didn’t know was that the judge, this judge, had established the local Veterans Treatment Center five years ago, the very center they were trying to scam.

© 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.