SEATTLE A 71-year-old man who claimed to be a decorated Korean War veteran pleaded guilty Friday in federal court to lying about his military service to get benefits and to wearing military medals he did not earn.
Roy J. Scott of Port Angeles pleaded guilty to using an altered military discharge certificate to obtain Veterans Administration compensation and medical benefits and to unlawfully wearing the military medals.
According to his plea agreement, in August 1999, Scott used a falsified military discharge form to get benefits. The form claimed that he had served in the Marine Corps in Korea, and that he was wounded in combat there. The form also claimed that Scott had been awarded several medals, including a Purple Heart. He also said he was honorably discharged.
Prosecutors say Scott never earned those medals, never served in Korea or any foreign country and was court-martialed. They add that he did not receive an honorable discharge and was not entitled to benefits. Between 2000 and 2007, he received $21,960 in VA medical benefits that he did not deserve, the U.S. attorney’s office said.
As part of his plea agreement Scott agreed to repay that money.
In 2006, Scott appeared at public events in Port Angeles, wearing the uniform of a Marine Corps major and medals and ribbons indicating he had been awarded the decorations he claimed, including the Bronze Star and Combat Action Ribbon. The Bronze Star is awarded to soldiers deemed to have made an extraordinary contribution to the national defense. The Combat Action Ribbon is awarded to soldiers who participated in actual combat.
He will be sentenced Nov. 30 by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Alice Theiler.
Use of an altered military discharge certificate to obtain benefits carries a maximum penalty of a year in prison and $100,000 fine. Unlawful wearing of U.S. military medals carries a maximum six months and a $5,000 fine.
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