The veteran noticed several problems with the uniform the man was wearing, and it could lead to federal charges under a new law.
A video has emerged of a man in Pennsylvania possibly impersonating a veteran, which could land him federal charges.
Real veteran and Purple Heart recipient Ryan Berk spotted the man, Sean Yetman, who was wearing Army fatigues and claimed to be an Army Ranger at a mall, and filmed their encounter, according to an ABC News report. In it, Berk said the man was trying to get discounts while shopping on Black Friday at the mall, which is near Philadelphia. Using a military uniform to falsely obtain benefits is a federal offense.
Berk asks Yetman where his combat patch is, and Yetman responded that he gave it to a kid. Berk further pressed him on why the flag is so low on his shoulder, saying it should be higher, prompting Yetman to respond, “You got me on that one, bud.”
Berk further notes the uniform’s Combat Infantry badges, as well as his undershirt and boots, don’t seem quite up to snuff. He questioned the man’s claim that he completed basic training at Fort Jackson in South Carolina.
The man could face stiff penalties if found guilty under the Stolen Valor Act, which was passed in 2013 because cases of soldier impersonation are so common. The act makes it a federal crime for someone to pretend to be a military veteran in order to obtain tangible benefits. Pennsylvania Congress Mike Fitzpatrick is consulting with the U.S. Attorney in Philadelphia to decide whether charges should be brought against Yetman, according to the report.
However, Yetman continued to insist in the video that he was in fact a veteran, arguing that if he “was a phony, then I wouldn’t be wearing his uniform.”
Berk said seeing people falsely claiming to be veterans diminishes the efforts of real veterans who “earned that uniform.”
Leave a Reply