William R. Jones; jail time for stolen valor
68-year-old William R. Jones, a retired Lieutenant Colonel of the Illinois Air National Guard, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sara L. Darrow to pay a $40,000 fine, $71,472 in restitution and serve three years of supervised release after he gets out of prison after he was convicted of stolen valor and for fleecing the Veterans’ Affairs Department of $71,472.
He had joined the Air National Guard in 1971, but he had never deployed to Vietnam, but he convinced the VA that he’d been shot down and wounded in that war with the help of VSOs and a Senator’s office, according to WQAD;
In 2003 Jones submitted for disability benefits, claiming he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder related to his combat service in the Republic of Vietnam. However, according to the Department of Justice’s statement, “at no time did Jones ever serve in the Southeast Asia or Republic of Vietnam.”
In addition, Jones falsely claimed that he had served as a Special Operations air crewman and was wounded when his gunship was shot down, according to the statement. He said he had gotten a Bronze Star Medal with V for Valor and a Purple Heart for his service in the Republic of Vietnam.
“The VA denied the claims after checking Jones’ military service records and determining that he was never in RVN,” read the statement.
It didn’t stop there though, the statement explained. Jones continued to try and get benefits, and submitted a false document to the VA that prompted the American Legion and public officials to petition on his behalf, based on the false representations.
“As a result of his false representations, Jones received $71,472 from the VA for combat-related disability,” read the statement.
In 2013 the American Legion submitted a new claim on Jones’ behalf, that included documents of his service, including copies of several false certificates that seemingly backed up false service claims. That same year Jones submitted documents to Senator Dick Durbin’s office that included false information about his service prompting Durbin to support Jones’ claim for disability benefits.
Like I said, Jones never served in Vietnam and he certainly wasn’t in the Air Force special operations, whatever that is. Jail time is kinda weak, but at least there’s some restitution, if he lives long enough to pay up.
Category: Veterans' Affairs Department
Another cocksucking assclown that shit all over his honorable service.
As for Dick Durbin… fuck him!
Surprise, surprise! He was supported by Dick “Turban” Durbin, the coward who ran away from DC ASAP on 9/11 because he was skeered of more attacks in the Capitol.
Gasbags like this and that fellow in the Tidewater area need to be put in public stocks with “Liar, Liar” signs hung on them.
With “Lying POS” tatooed on their foreheads and forearms.
Yeh..but..if you did that, there are not enough tattoo artists in DC to take care of the business!! 😉
This fucking piece of shit is a disgrace to the U.S. Armed Forces Officers’ Corps. May he be shunned by all good honorable men and eventually die a lonely miserable death…
The American Legion should also be held responsible.
Sadly, in light of all the posers, frauds, embellisher, the veteran organizations, like the VFW, AmVets, AL, etc, should probably error on the side of skepticism until the applicant’s service is confirmed. I am sure most real vets would have no problem with this and only the fakes would raise hell about it. “Me thinks thou protests too loudly…”
Of course, until the “old Guard” at these places are replaced, I don’t see this happening on a national level.
The “old guard” is still too firmly entrenched in too many posts unfortunately. They hold the leadership posts and fight the newer generations of vets who try to do the right thing. I was commander of my local post, with another retiree as my senior vice, I left the American Legion at the end of my term, as did every one of the guys we brought in, between the fakers who had life memberships and the guys who claimed we weren’t real vets who were in a real war they drove 12 members out who could have kept that post going. Now I know why my dad and uncles never joined…
The only one I am a member of is our local Marine Corps League. It’s almost like a neighborhood club where everyone knows each other since childhood. They know who served and who didn’t.
The last time I was at an American Legion Post, it was a bunch of old guys drinking and smoking.
Thanks but no thanks.
I am surprised at the legion…when I joined, I had to show them about all the military papers I had starting with DD214 and transfer papers to the ship! Guess they tightened up after wiping the egg from their face? Good outfit, hate to see them belittled!
Borrowing from one of my favorite liberal authors, this guy bears a strong family resemblance to a douchebag.
I have mixed feelings about his eight month sentence in light of Bergdahl’s sentence for misbehavior in the face of the enemy.
I wonder if Winston Groome is considering a follow up to his Conversations with the Enemy book on Garwood.
I can only hope my pos brother will eventually suffer the same fate! Except I want him to serve the rest of his miserable life in prison! He has scammed the VA out of more than $500K by now!
Why haven’t you reported him to the VA?
He has reported him.
William R. Jones, phony Vietnam Veteran, didn’t just steal from the VA. He stole from the veterans who truly need the resources and services that the VA offers, as well as from the American people.
This is in addition to valor theft.
Sounds as if he got tripped up by his own greed. Although the article isn’t completely clear, it sounds like he’d already managed to persuade the VA to pay him benefits that he didn’t deserve, and that his fraud was detected when he submitted another claim to get even more from the VA. Good for the public that he did get caught, but I’ll bet he could have lived very comfortably on his legitimate retired pay plus the VA he was already getting – but no, he had to have more.
This goes a little deeper in details:
https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdil/pr/geneseo-man-pleads-guilty-stolen-valor-offenses
Further, surprise, surprise! A Senator Barack 0bama also wrote a letter confirming that this asswipe ANG LTC was a RVN combat veteran.
But hey, according to the press, we can’t count that as another lie of Barack the Great. Thanks for the link.
It’s almost like nobody ever heard of the NPRC.
Another case of PTSD from being overcharged for waffles at the Officers Club that morphed into being shot down in RVN.
In 2003 Bush slowed down the va funding, and in 2007 I took the early 62 retirement and was on Cobra for 18 months. The va would not except me because I did not serve in Southeast asia or was combat wounded so I ended up paying mucho bucks to pay for my own health insurance until I was able to enter Medicare 3 years later. I hope the va takes care of all of you Vets out there but as far as I am concerned, that episode left a sour note in me and the va can go and scratch. Later on Der Herr obama increased the funding, but too little too late.
Actually, Bush doubled VA spending between 2001 & 2006.
So it went like this.
He said “I’m a Vietnam vet. I’m due benefits”.
The VA said, “No, your records indicate you didn’t serve there.”
The AL said, “He’s a well documented guy”.
The VA said, “Okay then, here’s your money.”
I agree with what Grouch Marx said about joining. “I would be a fool to join any organization that would accept a man like me.”
Not really surprised.
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An Officer and a Gentleman?? More like an officer and a lying thief!!