Phony SEAL gets 27 months
Meet Robert Warren. This pudgy turd (I can say that now that I’ve lost 40 pounds in the last six months) passed himself off as a SEAL for years and defrauded the VA for some of your tax money. Another victim of the Stolen Valor Act which punished him for taking advantage of his first amendment right to be the biggest jackass he wants to be. From the Military Times;
Warren was found guilty of six counts of wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, one count of making false statements and one count of Social Security fraud. He admitted to fraudulently receiving $166,116 in veterans’ benefits and $114,045 in Social Security benefits.
His disablity? He claimed PTSD – that ought to piss off some guy named MOTHAX at The Burn Pit after his piece the other day about the difficulty of diagnosing PTSD which makes it easy for phonies to fake;
Warren told VA officials in 2002 he hadn’t worked in four years and couldn’t work around people or in public. He submitted forged statements in support of his claim, court records show. Warren was awarded a 100 percent service-connected disability and granted the same through Social Security two years later.
As the picture shows, Warren didn’t just do it for the bennies – you can’t see it, but I cropped out the beer he’s holding so you can see the crap he’s pinned on his party clothes. The picture is too fuzzy to make out his party favors, though.
Anyone want to make the case for a victimless crime?
Category: Phony soldiers
After seeing what my father’s widow AND my mother had to go through to qualify for SS disability, it makes me sick to see this asshole waltz in and get it without so much as a, “by your leave.” What is it with mental disabilities that SSA is so eager to award, yet people with physical disabilities have to fight tooth and nail? Is the SSA that afraid of being labeled as insensitive or worse?
Also, any “witnesses” who corroborated this guy’s “claim” who don’t have Dr. before their names or Ph.D. after it need to be SERIOUSLY investigated. No way this turd got his claims approved all by himself.
Finally, congrats on the weight loss, Jonn–guess certain posters won’t be able to call you beer-loving, non-PTing, and whatever else crosses their single-celled brains, at least not truthfully, you Internet bully.
“…six counts of wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, one count of making false statements and one count of Social Security fraud…”
These are criminal offenses and the victim is the US government. He would have been in violation of these offenses with or without the Stolen Valor Act. Was he or was he not also convicted for violation of the Stolen Valor Act?
Oh…Congrats on losing weight! I am trying to lose weight, too, maybe 40 lbs, but I have just started. 🙂 I have also decided that I need to re-acquaint myself with push-ups and sit-ups since I apparently can’t seem to find time to attend yoga class…
The American people are the victims because it’s our money the government is handing out. The article says he was convicted under the Stolen Valor Act as well as the other charges.
“Federal Judge Michael McCuskey spent nearly 45 minutes chastising Robert Warren, saying he would have gladly added more time but was constrained by the law’s limits.”
Righteous. What more can I say? Oh, right: Anyone who actually thinks the fatass in that picture is one of our most elite warriors needs their head examined.
As for losing the weight, good on ya. Seems like a lot of that going around right now. I’d gone from ~300lbs down to 250 (the easy part) about a year back, and more recently started the hard grind on down to USMC recruit reqs. 232 as of today. Mind over body, one step at a time, isn’t it? 😉
Yes, I agree, Jonn, that the American people are victim. I was just thinking back to how the paperwork on something like this would be filled out and what would go in the “Victim” block would be “US Government.” (I do miss my former profession sometimes…)
It is kinda weird reading this because Warren is my first name.
I look at it this way–the douchebag is going to spend less than a month in prison for every $10K he scammed. He got off WAY too easy.
Debra,
It is investigations under the Stolen Valor Act that often REVEAL this additional fraud. Without the SV Act, it is doubtful this man and many others we have seen in media, would have remained below the radar of LEA. It is NOT uncommon, after someone is outed publically for false claims under the SVA, that it is such further investigation that uncovers this fraud.
Doug, do you have any references to cite on this? If the system is so sloppy that there is no detection of criminal activity involving fraudulent ID, forgery, and all kinds of offenses, without an investigation being initiated under the Stolen Valor Act, then there is something seriously wrong somewhere.
Having worked for the VA and DOD for almost 30 years diagnosing and treating PTSD I can say there is no difficulty in diagnosing PTSD. If the patient has the symptoms, then the diagnosis is good. The problem is that guys like this know the symptoms. The problems is that someone in the VA didn’t check his records. Simple as that. When I worked in the Vet Center program I would have the veteran sign a SF180 during their first visit. I know from experience that military record keeping at that time was lacking but you could always get a good idea if not the whole skinny on the vet. When a vet filed for PTSD part of the process was giving dates, names, etc. of actions that have contributed to the PTSD. The VA would then send inquires to DOA, DON, DOAF, etc. to verify you were at the events through morning reporsts etc. along with your records. No verification, no PTSD claim. Where was the failure with this asshole? I don’t mind saying I’m 100% PTSD and 70% for wounds. It took over 2 years for me and another Airborne Bro to get our PTSD claims even though our records verified the stressors…we had to wait for the DOA to verify. No problem…keeps the wannabee’s out. Guess they have changed protocal. Too bad, this is what happens. I have had guys turned down for “no combat record” when all their records clearly show combat. They won on appeal but to see this dick slip through irritates the heck out of me.
[…] one to grow on: This ain’t Hell.. has a story about a fake SEAL getting a 27 month […]
Also, BTW, this dude is REALLY ugly. Can you not put another post up so I don’t have to look at his ugly face again when I come here???
I’ve also been working that whole weight-loss bit. I’ve managed to drop from 260 down to 215, with the goal at 185.
Mostly, I did it through walking and only slight modifications to my diet. The BIG thing that helped was I work on 5lb segments. I’m now down to 215, so my goal is to get to 210. After that, it will be to get to 205, etc. that way I’m not overwhelmed by the magnitude, and can see each pound lost as a step on the ladder. It doesn’t seem so daunting.
respects,
Debra, The source I would cite is my own experience in this. Check also with my friends Chuck and Mary Schantag at the POW Network. On a regular basis once we out someone for an SV Violation, we are bombarded by emails from people who know the individual from other fraudulent activities. I am often asked (three times last week by three different reporters) what is the common threat in SV Violations. The only common thread I’ve seen is that there is additional fraud beyond the Medals Fraud.
Doug, I’m not sold that the SV law in necessary, but I am open to changing my mind. How does the SV enhance outing phonies? Is it procedural? On it’s face I don’t see how the law is necessary to out a liar. We should be outing them regardless. Since outing someone for lying isn’t the same as prosecution under the SV law, am I missing something in the process of outing?
You seem to say most people who lie also commit other frauds that are already crimes (common thread). Supporters of the law say a person who claims vet status “in a bar” won’t be punished. If that is so, what is the benefit of the SV law if only those who commit the additional frauds will be punished? Is it just the additional jail time? Your comment seemed to point the benefit was the uncovering of the frauds, but as I said above I don’t see the connection that without the law you wouldn’t be able to call them out as a phony and and then not draw in those additional crimes. It seems possible even without the SV law.
Do you think a national database that can be accessed by Joe Schmoe would help? Might that be a better use of our time as vets rather than arguing over the SV law?
I knew this guy and figured him out to be full of crap from day one. I met him when he was inquiring about joining the local dive rescue team. Who wouldn’t want an Ex-SEAL on the team right? Even old and out of shape he should have been a decent swimmer and have a certain steadiness to him. But that first day I could tell that he could barely swim and had absolutely no knowledge of scuba gear, none. I’m sorry for his family, but not for him.