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Paul John "PJ" Herbert, 52, of Shelburne Falls, is charged with one count of theft of government money and one count of making false statements, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He faces potentially decades in prison if convicted on all charges.
Herbert is accused of stealing more than $344,000 in veteran disability benefits meant for armed service members who are hurt while serving their country, the prosecutor said.
Herbert served in the Marines from 1989 until 1993 and in the Reserves from 1995 until 1995 and did tours in Iraq and Somalia.
Though, he was not the war hero he claimed to be.
In an application for the Purple Heart medal in 2018, Herbert wrote through his local congressman that he was the sole survivor of an improvised explosive device while serving in northern Iraq. He claimed he suffered a traumatic brain injury in the blast.
That was a lie, the prosecutor said.
Not only do his service records not back this up, authorities said, IEDs were not used in Iraq until the early 2000s during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Herbert was exposed last year in an article by the Greenfield Recorder after veteran services in Greenfield opened an investigation into his claims. He admitted he had lied when confronted by a reporter.
“I just needed to feel important. I started feeling important and feeling good about myself and I didn’t know a way to get out,” Herbert told the newspaper. “I know I hurt a lot of people that trusted me and cared about me and everything else.”
US Attorney Joshua S. Levy said Herbert's actions are a slap in the face of America's veterans following his arrest on Friday, Sept. 1.
“Every day, thousands of brave members of the military selflessly risk their lives to protect our country," Levy said. "Stealing from our country’s veterans or claiming valor where there is none is an insult to the honorable service members who sacrifice for our safety.”
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