Purple Heart for “Lifesaving Actions”

Hold onto your tactical vests, folks! A New Berlin man who allegedly thought he could LARP his way into being a Border Patrol bigwig and a war hero is getting a fresh attorney to defend his, ahem, creative life choices. Hank Glembin, 35, is back in the spotlight after allegedly strutting around like a wannabe federal agent last summer and then doubling down by claiming he’s got not one, but two Purple Hearts—like he’s auditioning for a Michael Bay movie.

Glembin’s original lawyer, Christopher Carson, yeeted himself out of the case earlier this month, citing a “conflict of interest” (probably that his client’s fibs were too wild even for him). Court Commissioner David Herring gave Carson the green light to bail on Monday, setting a new court date for Oct. 28, per online records. Glembin’s now left to find a new legal sidekick to navigate his laundry list of charges.

So, what’s the tea? Last January, Glembin allegedly decided to play dress-up as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent. Picture this: he’s rocking a hat screaming “CBP,” a vest plastered with “DHS” and “CBPPA,” and a duty belt complete with a gun. He even flashed a fancy ID claiming he was with the Department of Homeland Security while “volunteering” to help a Muskego cop with a dead deer on Jan. 25. Because nothing says “federal agent” like offering roadside taxidermy services. Four days later, he rolled up to a New Berlin traffic stop, still in his CBP cosplay, with extra gear in his car like he was ready to star in Border Patrol: The Musical. Spoiler: He’s not with the agency. Shocker.

Fast forward to June, and Glembin’s antics hit peak sitcom levels. His lawyer, Carson, emailed Assistant D.A. Lindsey Hirt some “documents” claiming Glembin was a Purple Heart recipient for “life-saving actions” and wounds from 2014-2015 in Afghanistan and Yemen, supposedly during Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom. Carson was like, “Yo, check out my guy’s military glow-up, can we talk misdemeanor?” Bold move, sir.

But here’s where it gets chef’s kiss hilarious: the Purple Heart certificates were faker than a reality TV romance. One had “theater” misspelled as “theature”—because nothing screams “official military document” like a typo your spellcheck would slap. Both docs, dated May 21, 2015, looked like they were whipped up in Photoshop by a middle schooler. Plus, Purple Hearts usually pinpoint exact dates, not vague “sometime between October 2014 and April 2015” vibes. When a Waukesha County Sheriff’s detective called Glembin out on July 1, he doubled down, claiming the certificates arrived in a manila envelope (so legit!) and pointed to a “combat wound” on his body. Sure, Hank, and I got a Medal of Honor in my spam folder.

Carson, to his credit, swore he didn’t know the certificates were as real as a three-dollar bill and had no intent to dupe the D.A. Meanwhile, a state Division of Criminal Investigation special agent (and retired Navy commander) took one look at the docs and probably laughed harder than we are. Glembin’s official personnel file spilled the beans: no Purple Hearts, no combat zones, no Afghanistan, no Yemen. Instead, he was chilling in Okinawa, Japan, from October 2014 to April 2015, probably sipping boba, not dodging bullets.

So now, Glembin’s facing charges for impersonating a peace officer, unauthorized use of official documents, bail jumping, lying about military honors, and obstructing police. With a new lawyer on deck, we can only hope they’re ready for this wild ride. Stay tuned for the next episode of As the Valor Turns!

Man accused in stolen valor, fake border patrol cases to get new attorney
Freeman Staff  |  Oct 14, 2025

WAUKESHA — A New Berlin man accused of posing as a Border Protection agent last summer, then allegedly falsely claiming last spring to have received two Purple Hearts, will see a new attorney represent him as the cases proceed.

Later…

Glembin, when contacted July 1, told a Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department detective he received the Purple Heart after his discharge from the Marines; on a second visit, Glembin told the detective the documents were not fake, that the certificates arrived in the mail in a manila envelope, and pointed to a specific part of his body he claimed had been wounded in combat, the complaint said.

Category: Purple Heart, Stolen Valor