Michael Westbay update
Yesterday, we talked a bit about Michael Westbay, the founder of the supposed charity Wounded Veterans Working who was spotted wearing his uniform with the badges and patches completely opposite of the way they should be worn. Well, our friends at Guardian of Valor dug a little deeper and found the picture above of him with a Ranger neck tattoo – which makes him totally legit, right?
Well, not according to GoV – it seems that he was like so many others we’ve seen lately who spent a few weeks in the military and decided that was enough to make them SEALs or Rangers or Snipers or Special Forces, or whatever they think fit their personality on a given day.
So we reached out to our contacts to see if this guy earned anything he is rocking, and if he ever served at all, turns out he did actually serve, but very briefly.
He enlisted in April of 1998 and reported to Fort Jackson, South Carolina and was discharged in May of 1998 with a medical condition that excluded him from serving. He was discharged as a Private (E1) with no awards, so he had a total of one month of service. I don’t believe that’s long enough to have earned all that bling!
It looks like Wounded Veterans Working might be a legit 501(c)(3) organization, they’ve fired their founder, William Westbay, and they vow to continue the mission, but I think they’re dreaming. I’m pretty sure they’re tainted beyond recovery.
And, some of these guys are so 8TFU, we don’t need no stinkin’ FOIA.
Category: Phony soldiers
Their website says that they are a 501(a), not a 501(c)(3). I’m not a lawyer, but, from what I can find, money given to a 501(a) isn’t tax deductable. As far as “firing” Westbay, I’ll guess that it will have little effect on funds distribution.
Without knowing who is actually behind that group now, I am not buying anything they say at all.
Clamsgotlegs posted yesterday in the other discussion that they checked the IRS, and the 501C is not active. They may have applied, but they are not yet a registered 501c with the IRS.
They are registered in the State of New York, but they can not take donations claiming to be a 501c.
They have also once again pulled down their facebook page. Seems they do not want scrutiny.
UPDATE: the FB page mentioned which had updates with pics of their NY registration and IRS envelope was taken down. I believe they can collect donations, but must disclose that their IRS designation as a nonprofit is pending and any donations are NOT tax deductible. from yesterday’s post/thread: clamsgotlegs says: September 3, 2014 at 6:22 pm While the “Wounded Warriors Working” is legally registered with the New York Sec. of State’s office, I find NO listing with the IRS with the given EIN, with the Albany or Lake Grove Address shown on their FB page documentation. No status listing as current, revoked or having filed a 990 form. I would take this to mean that they have an EIN, applied to the IRS for official nonprofit status, but have not yet received their IRS 501(c)(X) nonprofit designation letter. Hence, any donations made to this organization are NOT tax deductible until they receive the IRS designation letter. FYI, in normal times, it would take a year to get the IRS nonprofit designation letter, however, because of the IRS “scandal” of the last two years, the application may still be sittting in someone’s IN box waiting to be rubber stamped. The following information is from the NY Sec of States online corporations search tool: NYS Department of State Division of Corporations Entity Information The information contained in this database is current through September 2, 2014. ——————————————————————————– Selected Entity Name: WOUNDED VETERANS WORKING, INC Selected Entity Status Information Current Entity Name: WOUNDED VETERANS WORKING, INC DOS ID #: 4597336 Initial DOS Filing Date: JUNE 24, 2014 County: SUFFOLK Jurisdiction: NEW YORK Entity Type: DOMESTIC NOT-FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION Current Entity Status: ACTIVE Selected Entity Address Information DOS Process (Address to which DOS will mail process if accepted on behalf of the entity) CORPORATION SERVICE COMPANY 80 STATE STREET ALBANY, NEW YORK, 12207 Registered Agent NONE This office does not record information regarding the names and addresses of officers, shareholders or directors of nonprofessional corporations except the chief executive officer, if provided, which would be listed above. Professional corporations must include the name(s) and address(es) of… Read more »
Hell, this guy is about 20 miles East of me and a stone’s throw from the VA Medical Center in Northport, Long Island.
I’ll keep this guys info on my laptop desktop in case he pops up anywhere associated with any Veterans organizations.
No matter how I look at Westbay and that outfit, they appear as 8TFU as a fart soup & sandwich in Somalia! E7 rank, SF patch & tabs and no overseas patch? I wonder if he’s just a conman looking for a date?!
He may have spent a few months in the Army, but don’t they train proper wear of the uniform in basic?
A month spent at the reception station fresh off the street, about all you learn is your three general orders. And as Loach noted down below, he served during the time when the Army still had BDUs.
Why the fuck am I not surprised about this clown! Good grief, maybe I should have washed out of basic so I could be a space shuttle door gunner.
What is up with these idiots and thinking that they will not get called out on their bullshit antics?
YankeeJim he was in for a month in the BDU era. He’s confused by Velcro.
Hey man you don’t know the hardships he’s had to endure to learn how to use velcro. It is a complicated task. It’s not like if you screw it up, you can just redo it 10 seconds later. lol
Maybe WWP will buy them.
Posers do not seem to be an issue for them.
Wow the neck tattoo is way more legitimate than dog tags ever were.
MUST GET INK!
Based on the recent posering trend, talking with a recruiter makes you a qualified 11 Bravo; showing up for your MEPS physical makes you Airborne qualified; actually reporting for BCT reception station makes you a Ranger; graduating from BCT makes you SF; and if you actually complete AIT, you’re definitely a Tier One Delta Operator…
One Delta Ten Tango is think is the proper MOS.
dam auto correct….
This is an example of a pervasive kind of bottom feeding scum that unfortunately I think we are going to see more of.
Note the stolen WWP logo and stenciled lettering (again, identical to that used by WWP.)
My assumption is that the scam is to have a casual passerby think it’s WWP (because the eyes are naturally going to focus on the first word and let the brain fill in the rest of the information), and give a donation thinking they’re helping WWP, when all they’re really doing is lining this turdbag’s pockets.
And by giving himself a slightly different name he hopes to stay on the good side of the law. AFAIK charities aren’t tightly regulated especially if they’re not tax exempt, which means that he could donate $1 of his ill-gotten gains to some legitimate charity, pocket the rest as “expenses” and still not be liable for criminal charges.
“Fraud” is usually defined as “making a material misrepresentation in order to induce someone else to give something of value.”
One question I would have is whether the wearing of a military uniform by someone who is not entitled to do so constitutes a “material misrepresentation.” In my humble opinion, it should, since the only reason for a waste of DNA like this to wear his un-earned uniform is to establish his credibility as a current or former member of the military in order to induce people to make “donations” to his “cause.”
I’m sure if it ever went to court, some liberal judge would uphold it saying “it is his 1st Amendment right to wear what he wants to get material gain out of people. I mean he raised (x amount of money) and donated 5 cents to the American Red Cross. The rest went towards “operational costs”.
Or something along those lines.
Forgive me for being cynical but I think “Wrongway” Westbay is the only person behind WVW.
Not the only one.
^Meaning you are not the only one who thinks that…
Throat punch.