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http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/dec/31/marine-general-now-faces-charge/
Marine ‘general’ now faces charge
Officials: He passed himself off as officer
FEDERAL COURT— David Vincent Weber arrived last month at a Ramona Veterans of Foreign Wars event in style: two stars on his shoulder and two Purple Heart medals pinned on the front of a Marine Corps uniform.
Weber, 69, appeared in a federal courtroom in downtown San Diego yesterday with considerably less pomp. He faces a charge under the 2005 Stolen Valor Act of wearing military medals he didn’t earn while passing himself off as a Marine major general at VFW Post 3783’s birthday celebration for the Corps.
Weber didn’t enter a plea, was allowed to post bail and was appointed an attorney at federal government expense during a hearing in U.S. District Court.
Weber’s attorney, Joseph Camden, said the Ramona resident has a long list of medical problems, including prostate cancer, Parkinson’s disease and three previous strokes. He takes 18 medications and is under the care of a psychiatrist, Camden said.
Federal prosecutor Arthur Rizer said the U.S. Justice Department is considering whether to pursue felony charges against Weber. The hearing involved one misdemeanor charge, filed Dec. 23, that carries a maximum sentence of a year’s imprisonment.
Rizer said Weber was shown considerable courtesy at the November VFW event because of his assumed rank and prestige, including being allowed to eat the first piece of cake — an honor usually extended to the oldest Marine at the gathering. In addition to the Purple Hearts, Weber wore five Legion of Merit honors, the prosecutor said.
“He took the spotlight from individuals who did earn the medals they were wearing,” Rizer said.
Weber, who walked with a wooden cane and wore a hearing aid, refused to comment after leaving the courtroom.
The commander of the Ramona VFW post said he feels sorry for Weber and hopes the court is lenient — even though it appears the “general” didn’t deserve the respect he was given.
“He sold it pretty well, mainly because of his age. People tend not to question an older gentleman,” said Dale Smith, a retired Navy master chief.
“Unfortunately, he didn’t end up being a gentleman.”
Doug Sterner, who runs the Web site homeofheroes.com, follows similar cases around the country. It’s not uncommon for people to masquerade as high-ranking military officials, Sterner said. They do it not just to fluff their egos, but to get perks, such as gifts and waived fees, from people who respect veterans.
“There are free dinners, and you can probably walk into just about any clubhouse in the country and drink all night,” said Sterner, whose Web site chronicles real medal winners. “There is definitely a financial side to it.”
Weber’s story started to unravel after the Ramona Sentinel newspaper ran a photograph of him at the VFW event. In the picture, taken Nov. 7, the stars are visible on Weber’s shoulders and his chest bears two gleaming rows of medals. It was accompanied by a long story detailing Weber’s career in the Marines.
Smith said some veterans at the VFW event began to wonder about Weber’s résumé, because he wore medals that didn’t seem to make sense. For instance, his aircrew medals — as both an enlisted man and an officer — didn’t mesh with his story.
A few days later, the Sentinel had a second article on Weber with the headline: “The two-star general who wasn’t.” In that account, Weber apologized and said he did serve in the Marines from 1958 to 1967 and achieved the rank of staff sergeant.
At that point, according to the story, Marine Corps headquarters in Quantico, Va., knew about Weber’s tall tales and had instructed him to stop wearing the two-star general’s insignia.
In court yesterday, the prosecutor said Weber served 18 months for a felony theft conviction in 1994, but details of that crime weren’t given.
Rizer also said Weber still has a military identification card that says he is a major general. The prosecutor asked that U.S. District Judge Ruben B. Brooks force Weber to surrender the card, but the defense attorney countered that the demand violated Weber’s rights. Brooks set a hearing for this morning on that point.
After that, Weber’s next day in court is expected to be a Jan. 14 preliminary hearing.
Marine ‘general’ now faces charge
Officials: He passed himself off as officer
FEDERAL COURT— David Vincent Weber arrived last month at a Ramona Veterans of Foreign Wars event in style: two stars on his shoulder and two Purple Heart medals pinned on the front of a Marine Corps uniform.
Weber, 69, appeared in a federal courtroom in downtown San Diego yesterday with considerably less pomp. He faces a charge under the 2005 Stolen Valor Act of wearing military medals he didn’t earn while passing himself off as a Marine major general at VFW Post 3783’s birthday celebration for the Corps.
Weber didn’t enter a plea, was allowed to post bail and was appointed an attorney at federal government expense during a hearing in U.S. District Court.
Weber’s attorney, Joseph Camden, said the Ramona resident has a long list of medical problems, including prostate cancer, Parkinson’s disease and three previous strokes. He takes 18 medications and is under the care of a psychiatrist, Camden said.
Federal prosecutor Arthur Rizer said the U.S. Justice Department is considering whether to pursue felony charges against Weber. The hearing involved one misdemeanor charge, filed Dec. 23, that carries a maximum sentence of a year’s imprisonment.
Rizer said Weber was shown considerable courtesy at the November VFW event because of his assumed rank and prestige, including being allowed to eat the first piece of cake — an honor usually extended to the oldest Marine at the gathering. In addition to the Purple Hearts, Weber wore five Legion of Merit honors, the prosecutor said.
“He took the spotlight from individuals who did earn the medals they were wearing,” Rizer said.
Weber, who walked with a wooden cane and wore a hearing aid, refused to comment after leaving the courtroom.
The commander of the Ramona VFW post said he feels sorry for Weber and hopes the court is lenient — even though it appears the “general” didn’t deserve the respect he was given.
“He sold it pretty well, mainly because of his age. People tend not to question an older gentleman,” said Dale Smith, a retired Navy master chief.
“Unfortunately, he didn’t end up being a gentleman.”
Doug Sterner, who runs the Web site homeofheroes.com, follows similar cases around the country. It’s not uncommon for people to masquerade as high-ranking military officials, Sterner said. They do it not just to fluff their egos, but to get perks, such as gifts and waived fees, from people who respect veterans.
“There are free dinners, and you can probably walk into just about any clubhouse in the country and drink all night,” said Sterner, whose Web site chronicles real medal winners. “There is definitely a financial side to it.”
Weber’s story started to unravel after the Ramona Sentinel newspaper ran a photograph of him at the VFW event. In the picture, taken Nov. 7, the stars are visible on Weber’s shoulders and his chest bears two gleaming rows of medals. It was accompanied by a long story detailing Weber’s career in the Marines.
Smith said some veterans at the VFW event began to wonder about Weber’s résumé, because he wore medals that didn’t seem to make sense. For instance, his aircrew medals — as both an enlisted man and an officer — didn’t mesh with his story.
A few days later, the Sentinel had a second article on Weber with the headline: “The two-star general who wasn’t.” In that account, Weber apologized and said he did serve in the Marines from 1958 to 1967 and achieved the rank of staff sergeant.
At that point, according to the story, Marine Corps headquarters in Quantico, Va., knew about Weber’s tall tales and had instructed him to stop wearing the two-star general’s insignia.
In court yesterday, the prosecutor said Weber served 18 months for a felony theft conviction in 1994, but details of that crime weren’t given.
Rizer also said Weber still has a military identification card that says he is a major general. The prosecutor asked that U.S. District Judge Ruben B. Brooks force Weber to surrender the card, but the defense attorney countered that the demand violated Weber’s rights. Brooks set a hearing for this morning on that point.
After that, Weber’s next day in court is expected to be a Jan. 14 preliminary hearing.
