“PJ” Herbert Sentenced in Stolen Valor Case
Paul “PJ” Herbert of Shelburne Falls, veteran of tours in Iraq and Somalia, spoke during Veterans Day Services at Veterans Mall in Greenfield Monday.
NOTE: TAH / VG carried several articles about this guy. This is the sentencing phase of the story.
- (theme = arrested) https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=146726
- (theme = apologizes) https://valorguardians.com/blog/?p=128923
Meet Paul “PJ” Herbert, a 54-year-old former Marine who apparently confused his military service with a Netflix action movie, claiming to be the sole survivor of an IED attack with British Royal Marines that never happened—because why let reality ruin a good story? This creative storytelling genius managed to pocket nearly $300,000 in veterans’ benefits over 13 years while sporting 14 fraudulent military medals like some sort of delusional dress-up game, including a fake Purple Heart application that he had the audacity to submit through his congressman’s office.
When finally caught, Herbert showed up to court with his service dog (whose vet bills the VA was also paying for) and delivered what the judge generously described as sounding “like an acceptance speech” rather than a genuine apology. Now he’s facing 24 months of supervised release with a year of home confinement, $299,733 in restitution, and the ultimate punishment for any attention-seeking fabricator: his wife divorced him, his kids won’t talk to him, and he’s missed family milestones—proving that sometimes the real casualties of stolen valor are the relationships you destroy along the way.
Marine vet gets 24 months of supervised release in stolen valor case, must pay nearly $300K in restitution
By DOMENIC POLI | Staff Writer, Greenfield Recorder | 06-17-2025
SPRINGFIELD — A U.S. Marine Corps veteran was sentenced on Tuesday to 24 months of supervised release for stealing benefit payments from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and submitting a false Purple Heart application through his congressional representative.
Paul John “PJ” Herbert, 54, appeared in U.S. District Court in Springfield three months after pleading guilty to one count of making false statements. The first 12 months of his supervised release will consist of home confinement, with exceptions for medical, mental health, therapeutic and veterinary appointments as approved by the Probation Department. Herbert was also ordered to pay $299,733 in restitution, which will take the form of the VA withholding $900 per month from Herbert’s monthly disability compensation benefit.
The Recorder published a report in August 2022 in which Herbert admitted to embellishing his military service and receiving medals and money he had not earned. Herbert was accused of stealing more than $344,000 in veterans disability benefits between Jan. 1, 2010 and March 11, 2023. He was arrested on Sept. 1, 2023. It has since been discovered that Herbert had legitimately earned approximately $44,000 of the money he had received.
In court on Tuesday, Herbert read a prepared statement in which he spoke about his service in Iraq and Somalia, but apologized for lying about certain events and accomplishments. The act of lying about military service is known as stolen valor.
“I violated the Marine Corps values,” he said.
Herbert, who appeared in court with his English Labrador retriever service dog, thanked his Veterans Affairs physicians and caretakers as well as his family, including his Vietnam War veteran uncle who died in April. He also apologized to U.S. Rep. Richard Neal for wasting his office’s time and to Purple Heart recipients, saying he hopes they do not feel their sacrifices have been belittled.
Had Herbert gone to prison, besides prison issued clothes he would have had the nickname “PJ” taken away and issued the nickname “Trap Door.”
Category: Marine Corps Poser, Purple Heart, Valor Vultures
And where will this $300K restitution come from?
Who will even hire him at minimum wage?
Thx, VA, for doing such a thorough and complete background check on this SV turd. Think (if you can) of all the money and time wasted and stolen, that could have been used for better genuine purposes. (is the /s tag even necessary?)
Tox, the article says that 900 dollars a month will be withheld from his monthly compensation benefit to pay the restitution. At that rate, it’ll take 27 years to pay it all off./s
How does he rate any VA compensation from which to deduct anything?
SSGT Reckless DOES NOT APPROVE
Where is that at? FT Riley? I’ve seen it before but can’t place it.
Camp Pendelton and Quantico, VA. She was a Marine.
Near the Pacific View event center on Camp Pendleton
Embellishing cocksucker got off lite with this “sentence”. Remember, from the original links, it was up to 15 years, and 500K$ fine. Oh…and lest we forget…this mofo WAS NOT one of Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children, he was a wing wiper in the Chairforce and a little time in the AFR.
The VA should take “Bear” away from this POS, too. I’d give that Good Boy a real nice home.
Despicable!
All the articles I’ve seen on this MF continue to refer to him as a Marine. But the so-called journalists can always fall back on their First Amendment right to lie (and claim it was based on a true story).
More like “sole survivor of a[ buffet] attack”.
Turd.
He shows up with a dog, a service dog.
I hope that dog rips his nuts off.
My Dad had a pair of WW2 PJ Trapdoors which I got ahold of and used the ensemble for winter middle of the night fire calls when I was a volly Firefighter. one shot deal getting into the PJ and the heavy wool kept me warm but a little cumbersome so I switched to modern light and mediam weight. I can’t remember if they were wool or another material. Shit canned the sets when I retired in 2007 and moved to the Gunshine State of Florida.
IMHO, the real punishment is the divorce and kids not speaking to him.
When he sits in his lonely house, he has nothing but himself to blame.
He shouldn’t have a house to sit in.
He should be sitting in an abandoned, rusted out, inoperable, leaky, van under a bridge down by the river bank.
River bank is too nice. Maybe behind Lowes with the PA system blaring all day.
Naaah…..gotta give him SOMEPLACE to shit & piss without totally smelling up the area.
Word on the streets of Bethesda is that a 1989’s vintage Jaguar can comfortably sleep two adults. Of course, that Jaguar would be situated under the River Road overpass of the Capital Beltway.
Lori Benton could not come through.
This dude is a clown.
Employment at All-Points Logistics waits.
Phil Monkress (CEO of All-Points Logistics) would be proud.
The jacket alone is proof of guilt. No one is allowed to wear one of those after MCT.
Hack Stone showed up to 29 Stumps in late October 1981. Hack did not bring any winter civilian attire, because it does not get cold in Southern California during the winter. Or so Hack believed. Froze his ass off first weekend in 29 Palms, purchased the USMC Road Guard Vest, as pictured above. After going deaf from all the patrons on the Enlisted Club yelling “Boot!!!”, Hack Stone bestowed the jacket on his younger brother Rollin Stone, who proudly wore it while strutting around South Jersey before shipping to Parris Island. He showed up in 29 Stumps in November 1982. He wore the jacket to the Enlisted Club. Once. That jacket has not been out of the wall locker since.
Ahhh the boot jacket, never bought one. When I saw the court street commandoes wandering around buying $300 trinkets for their moms, I knew the jacket was a beacon for ripping off lonely new Jarheads from their $700 dollar a month pay.
Don’t forget the requisite “tour patches” attached to the USMC Road Guard Vest. Parris Island and Camp Johnson. Pretty impressive. (Insert eye roll here). Only saw it while at Camp Lejeune, never saw the Newbies on Camp Pendleton following the trend.
When I in-processed at NTC in April 1982 I was issued an arctic jacket with dog/coyote/wolf fur hood. I handed it back saying, “We’re in the desert, I won’t need it.” He took it back, smiled, and said “I’ll see you in October.”
I was back in September.
What a flaming pissant, now he gets to realize that THE INTERNET IS FOREVER.
“I violated my fake Marine Corp values.”. There, fixed it!
Yeah.
This clown needs a boot print front and center on his fat ass melon.
A yellow boot print.
IYKYK
To funny!
Shades of Ronald Mailahn. When questioned by law enforcement about embezzling money from his daughter’s softball team, he told them “Marines don’t steal.” As he was never in the Marine Corps, he thought that he was “technically correct”. If Marines don’t steal, why do we have brigs?
Damn! I’d like to get me some of that 12 months of house arrest. A whole year of not having to leave the house! That includes going to work, right?
Crime pays. What a joke of a consequence.