A Wisconsin man who falsely claimed to be a Navy SEAL who served in Vietnam and was wounded four times has been sentenced to four years behind bars.

Kenneth E. Jozwiak, 68, pleaded guilty to theft, faking paperwork in order to obtain benefits meant for veterans, obstruction of justice, and lying to investigators, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Prosecutors say Jozwiak submitted a false discharge certificate saying he served as a Navy SEAL from 1965 to 1968, receiving Bronze Star and Purple Heart awards for his service.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the northern district of Ohio, however, said all the awards, including the four Purple Heart awards for injuries suffered in combat, were false.

Jozwiak did serve in the military, but he only served one year- from 1967 to 1968- out of a four-year enlistment and did not serve overseas.

Jozwiak has a lengthy rap-sheet that includes over 120 convictions related to theft since 1975, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney David Toepfer.

Toepfer said Jozwiak went to great lengths to promote this falsehood.

“He was particularly public in how he did it,” Toepfer said. “He went as far as accompanying a child to an elementary school and representing himself as a Navy SEAL there and as having received all of these awards.”

Court documents say it was his stepson’s school. Toepfer said the event was similar to a “take a veteran to school” event.

Before the VA inspector general investigated, Jozwiak received nearly $2,300 in VA pension benefits in 2014.

“I never used that for anything, nothing. Never have,” Jozwiak said when investigators confronted him with the false paperwork, according to the grand jury indictment.

Jozwiak is not the only person who has faked his military service to get benefits.

Earlier in May, a former southern California Marine was sentenced to 21 months in prison for faking a combat injury and falsely claiming that he was awarded a Purple Heart.

The problem has become so widespread, that one filmmaker decided to create a film exposing the problem called “Stealing Valor,” which will be screened at the GI Festival in Washington, D.C. on May 28.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-g...r-years-behind-bars/

I know several Green Berets who will be happy to educate this asshole.

It was false statements to receive benefits, cash from the government, that is the crime. Stolen Valor, displaying medals, etc have been struck down in 1st Amendment grounds. He could have claimed to be a clarinet player in the band, and gotten benefits, and been in trouble.

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He could have claimed to be a clarinet player in the band, and gotten benefits, and been in trouble.

Good point, but how sexy is it to be Benny Goodman or Pete Fountain in this day and age?

Had a guy at Walter Reed. Claimed to be a Sergeant Major and volunteered with the Red Cross. That let him wear khakis and small skill badges. He even married a soldier.
When he suddenly died, his wife wanted a military funeral. Then we couldn't find any record of him serving. After a long time we determined he'd worked at Ft Bragg as a civilian. He'd told his wife the ex-wife had burned all his records.
Far as I know he never got anything monetary gain from this. Just a poor sad fool.

120 strikes and you're out

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falsely claimed to be a Navy SEAL who served in Vietnam and was wounded four times has been sentenced to four years

GOOD!
Lie and take benefits meant for those that earned and deserve them? Fifteen years would have been even better.