BOSTON — A former U.S. Marine from western Massachusetts has pleaded guilty to submitting a fake Purple Heart application to the U.S. Marine Corps through his local Congressman, and falsely claimed injury from an IED for benefits, the U.S. Attorney said.
Paul John Herbert, 54, of Shelburne Falls, Herbert pleaded guilty in federal court in Springfield to one count of making false statements, U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said in a statement on Tuesday.
U.S. District Court Judge Mark Mastroianni scheduled sentencing for June 17.
Herbert also obtained more than $344,000 in Veterans Affairs disability benefits by falsely claiming to have been injured by an improvised explosive device, Foley said. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2023.
“Military veterans deserve the respect of every citizen for their service to our country. Veterans know well that the Purple Heart honors those brave service members who were injured or killed in the line of duty,” Foley said.
“Mr. Herbert knew that he did not deserve this widely recognized and respected award, but that did not stop him from lying about a traumatic brain injury and stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars in disability benefits, intended to take care of veterans truly in need,” Foley said. “Claiming valor for a false injury is an affront to all the members of the military who serve our country with courage and honor.”
Beginning on Oct. 13, 2010, Herbert submitted “numerous” false statements to the VA concerning IED-related injuries in support of a claim for disability compensation, Foley said.
Based upon these false claims, between Jan. 1, 2010 and March 1, 2023, the VA overpaid Herbert $344,040.
On Oct. 24, 2018, Herbert issued a request to his Congressman to assist with the application for a Purple Heart, Foley said.
The request contained a notarized letter from Herbert that falsely stated he had been injured by a roadside explosion, Foley said.
“Today’s guilty plea holds this defendant accountable for falsifying his service record to steal funds intended for our nation’s deserving veterans,” Special Agent in Charge Christopher Algieri with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northeast Field Office said in a statement.
“The VA Office of Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate those who would represent themselves as something they are not in order to exploit VA programs and services,” Algieri added.
For the charge of making a false statement, Herbert faces a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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