Phony creds
Mary sent this to me the other day and COB6 reminded me about this morning. It has to do with Bob Neener who claims to be a Marine veteran and he sells certificates of military service from his website Citation Express. There’s something that you should know before you buy any of this stuff – Neener was sentenced to three years in prison for doing this stuff in the past. he was convicted last year, so I don’t know why he’s out on the street now. The DoJ explains;
Robert E. Neener, 65, of Smithville, Tenn., was sentenced in federal court on July 13, 2012, to three years in prison for possessing and selling documents bearing counterfeit federal agency seals, and pretending to be a federal officer or employee, announced Jerry E. Martin, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Todd Campbell also ordered Neener to pay more than $43,000 in restitution to over 600 victims who had purchased documents from Neener through his Internet website, believing that the documents he sold were authentic and genuine.
“The results of this case should send a strong message to those who are either engaged in similar fraudulent activity, or are thinking about it,” said Jerry Martin, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee. “Such persons should know that if evidence demonstrates that you have used the Internet to commit wire or mail fraud, you will be investigated, prosecuted and sentenced accordingly.”
Neener pleaded guilty in March 2012 and admitted that from January 2007 through December 2008 he operated a document vending business from his residence in Smithville, Tenn., which he advertised via the Internet. In these advertisements, Neener falsely represented that he could provide customers with “authentic” military replacement documents which were “exact reproductions” of those originally issued and that he had contracts with military branches of the government.
The new website doesn’t go that far;
It is not our intent to propagate fraud, our documents are unofficial artistic renderings and are intended for your personal use. These Certificates may not be entered into your SRB, if you use these documents for official purposes or present for official use any certificate that you did not earn, you are in violation of Federal Laws and therefore subject to prosecution under Title 18 US Code.
I was a little reticent about posting this at all because I get so much search traffic inquiring how people can falsify their military records, but any phonies lurking out there should know that none of these would fool a real veteran, so you can waste your money if you want, but none of us are going to believe it.
Category: Phony soldiers
I’m pretty decent at reading and math but if you’re convicted of three years in prison and that was 2012, how come you’re not in prison in 2013?
I just perused this guy’s website; he has for sale a Purple Heart certificate that looks really really like the one Anderson-Tesla had on her wall in her apartment during the initial WUSA9 news story…gee, what a coincidence…
I did find this though….
http://ia601202.us.archive.org/19/items/gov.uscourts.tnmd.48458/gov.uscourts.tnmd.48458.62.0.pdf
Google still doesn’t explain to me why he isn’t in the POKEY.
Alright! now I can get that Silver Star that I never earned!
Thanks for the info on where to buy phone docs and awards, but I can make those things myself with a pair of scissors, some glue and a bunch of grosgrain ribbons.
Here is another: http://www.military-certificates.com/Cert_Seal_Teams.htm
@1 He might have been sitting in a cell waiting for trial, that time could very easily be counted towards his sentence…if it took 1 year to get to trial and a few months for the trial….that plus x days might have been enough…also state charges are rarely ever served in full….early release is important to keep the overcrowding low enough to avoid judicial interference….we want to keep the dopers locked up because that way the murderers, rapists, check forgers, car thieves, and robbers keep getting released.
There’s a reason that the saying “he has a rap sheet as long as his arm” isn’t a fictional fabrication…it’s because we have a catch and release system of justice. I’ll avoid going off on a rant on the prison system and leave it at that…
@7
Truth.
And while he might have been sentenced, and gotten some off for time served, it says he plead out. I’m sure getting some of that time suspended could easily have been part of the plea bargain.
These were Federal charges, not state. No parole in the Federal system. Even with good behaivor he should still be in prison, and the sentencing sheet would include any plea agreements. Are we sure he isn’t running his website from a prison cell?
VOV: Federal court, Federal charges.
Nik: I’m not sure the Federal courts do suspended sentences or parole. I could be wrong. Maybe one of our resident lawyers could give us the definitive word.
…and still, stolen valor on one side of the fence isn’t considered illegal. WTF?
It sounds like he was impersonating a federal agent, not smart. Same as impersonating an officer in the military only easier to prove if he was caught with phony creds…
Seriously? No one’s said it??
“neener neener neener”
There. That’s done…
Federal system does not provide for parole. Early release for good behavior (angel like attitude) might get one out early in accordance with strict guidance and limitations.
BLUF: when sentenced in Federal case … it is what it is!
Yah, feds don’t do no parole. They don’t do suspended sentences anymore. Time served is possible from what little I’ve read on the subject (here’s an example of time served being revoked: http://www.justice.gov/usao/paw/news/2013/2013_march/2013_03_19_06.html)
Charges were filed in Aug ’10 (source: http://www.financialfraudlaw.com/lawblog/internet-sale-allegedly-fake-military-service-documents-leads-charges/1369). If he’d been held in custody all that time, and if the judge allows time served in calculating the sentencing under the plea agreement, I can see how he might be out already.
Robert E. Neener is presently housed in the Federal prison at Marion. His projected release date is 23 March 2015. If it’s the same website he used to operate, someone else owns it now. When he is released, he will be on probation for three years. One of his probation conditions staes as follows: The Defendant shall not operate any websites which purport to offer the sale of any reproduced government documents. Further, the Defendant shall not engage in Internet vending of reproduced government documents and is prohibited from soliciting any person to sell or create reproduced government documents on his behalf.
@16
That’s good news then. Maybe he sold the site to someone else to run in his absence.
Federal lockup in Marion? If that’s the one in IL, it has a pretty “harsh” reputation. As in “worst place in the Federal prison system to be sent”, if I recall correctly.
Judge Campbell doesn’t seem to be a vet, and I’d guess he didn’t make that decision anyway. I can’t help but wonder what Neener did to piss off whoever made the decision to send him to Marion.
Whatever it was, and whoever made that decision – thanks. (smile)
@18. Judges don’t place prisoners, that’s the Bureau of Prisons job. In fact, the judge recommended that Neener be placed in TN, close to his home. That didn’t work out. Many thanks to ChipNASA for the key doc which led to fully ID’ing Neener in BOP.
@18 Last I knew, Marion was on a 23 hour 45 minute a day lockdown….so that “worse” reputation is probably well earned…
Here’s his info, in case anyone wants to write him a letter:
http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=NameSearch&needingMoreList=false&FirstName=Robert&Middle=&LastName=Neener&Race=W&Sex=M&Age=&x=53&y=5
@21. Yeah, you can address it to R. Neener c/o Bubba.
The Airborne school certificate at that web site looks a lot like the one hanging on my wall.
I’m curious but if you create a certificate like that with a fake signature of a real person, isn’t that forgery?
I’ll have to look up the federal Forgery statute, but the fact that it has a signature that cannot be real, and is being offered up as a genuine document (which it would be if it purports to “replace a lost certificate”) seems to make it a forgery to me. I guess it would depend on what the person was using it for. If it was just used to impress chicks, that’s one thing but if it is used to obtain benefits of any kind (including employment) then it seems a criminal forgery has taken place.
And even though the person presenting the certificate is the one committing the forgery, the person providing the document is certainly an accessory before the fact.
@23. Gaaaaaaaaad damit. You’ll be pleased to know that I wrote you a nice explanation, that I hit submit, and that I got the nasty “You’re posting comments too quickly” and the comment disappeared like a snowflake on the water. Man, I hate that b/c I knew better. Always hit copy before punching SUBMIT!
@23 well I bet they say is more “in honor of” or just plain art
Because everyone knows that if it’s in color is porn but if it’s black and white is art … right?
@20
Last I knew, Marion was on a 23 hour 45 minute a day lockdown….so that “worse” reputation is probably well earned…
23.75 hours a day of lockdown might actually be safer for him than putting a 65 year old guy in General Population of somewhere just as hardcore.