WHAT A HEEL: Combat Zero
John William Rodriguez, 31, faces 13 charges of felony fraud schemes – and may also be charged with violating the Stolen Valor Act of 2005 – for claiming to be a decorated Marine, reports The Associated Press:
DPS Detective Roger Wilson said it was unclear why Rodriguez was posing as a war hero, but that he got discounts on airline tickets, didn't have to change the registration on his car from California to Arizona and made friends by introducing himself as a Marine.
Wilson said Rodriguez, who is unemployed, had been living in the suburban Phoenix home of a man he met on a flight to Phoenix for two months without paying for his stay.
He also said Rodriguez cited an upcoming deployment to Iraq to get a court hearing on a drunken-driving charge postponed.
Authorities believe Rodriguez may have been had been performing his hero veteran act for two years. If convicted under the Stolen Valor Act, he could be imprisoned for as much as a year and fined $200,000.
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