A U.S. Marine veteran decided to obtain a Purple Coronary heart medal lied about struggling extreme accidents throughout a roadside explosion in northern Iraq, based on federal prosecutors.
The Purple Coronary heart, one of many oldest U.S. navy awards, is awarded to those that have been injured or killed “because of enemy motion” throughout their navy service. It’s “a solemn distinction and means a service member has vastly sacrificed themselves, or paid the last word worth, whereas within the line of obligation,” per USO.org.
Paul John Herbert, 52, of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, lied on a Purple Coronary heart software — submitted to the U.S. Marine Corps via his congressman in October 2018 — by claiming he suffered a traumatic mind damage and different accidents throughout his deployment to northern Iraq, prosecutors mentioned.
He additionally stole greater than $344,000 in veterans incapacity advantages from the Division of Veterans Affairs from January 2010 to March 2023, based on the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the District of Massachusetts.
Herbert was arrested on Sept. 1 and indicted on expenses of theft of presidency cash and making false statements, the legal professional’s workplace introduced in a Sept. 1 information launch.
McClatchy News contacted an legal professional representing Herbert for touch upon Sept. 4 and didn’t obtain an instantaneous response.
“Mr. Herbert’s alleged conduct is an affront to each veteran who has sacrificed to earn the respect of a Purple Coronary heart and who’s deserving of incapacity advantages,” U.S. Legal professional Joshua S. Levy mentioned in an announcement.
“Stealing from our nation’s veterans or claiming valor the place there may be none is an insult to the honorable service members who sacrifice for our security,” Levy added.
‘I simply wanted to really feel essential’
The Higher Pioneer Valley Veterans’ Providers District, a neighborhood veterans advocacy group, first investigated Herbert after he spoke about his navy service throughout a neighborhood veterans occasion in Massachusetts just a few years in the past, based on the Greenfield Recorder.
On the occasion, Herbert mentioned he was the only real survivor of an improvised explosive machine assault when British Royal Marines have been purportedly killed throughout his deployment to northern Iraq within the Nineties, the newspaper reported.
Nonetheless, the Higher Pioneer Valley Veterans’ Providers District realized this was by no means talked about in a navy doc — Herbert’s Certificates of Launch or Discharge from Energetic Obligation — the group obtained following a Freedom of Data Act request, based on the newspaper.
“(Herbert) effectively knew…he had not suffered traumatic mind damage from a roadside explosion whereas deployed in Northern Iraq,” the indictment says.
McClatchy News contacted the U.S. Navy for remark and for extra data concerning Herbert’s service within the Marine Corps on Sept. 4 and is awaiting a response.
In an August 2022 article printed by the Greenfield Recorder, Herbert admitted to mendacity about his experiences within the navy and receiving undeserved awards and cash.
“I simply wanted to really feel essential,” Herbert informed the newspaper on the time. “I began feeling essential and feeling good about myself and I didn’t know a solution to get out. I do know I damage lots of people that trusted me and cared about me and all the pieces else.”
After Herbert’s preliminary look in federal courtroom on Sept. 1, he was launched on situations not specified within the information launch.
If Herbert is convicted on the depend of theft of presidency cash, he should forfeit the $344,040 he’s accused of stealing from the Division of Veterans Affairs, based on the indictment.
The cost carries a penalty of as much as 10 years in jail, prosecutors mentioned.
The cost of constructing a false assertion in reference to Herbert’s Purple Coronary heart software carries a penalty of as much as 5 years in jail, based on the discharge.
Greater than 1.8 million U.S. service members have been awarded a Purple Coronary heart, together with President John F. Kennedy, the one U.S. president who’s acquired the award, based on the United Service Organizations.
Shelburne Falls is about 115 miles northwest of Boston.
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