Man lied about military service, gets 3 years

A Clayton man convicted of lying to the government about his military service and submitting more than $18,000 in false disability claims was sentenced to 3 years in prison in a federal court in Virginia this afternoon.

Randall A. Moneymaker will also serve 36 months of supervised release after his prison term and must pay $18,449 in restitution and a “special assessment” of $600 to the court.

Moneymaker was convicted in March in Roanoke, Va., where he has also said he lives. Prosecutors refuted Moneymaker’s claims that he had seen combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Panama and Grenada by producing tax returns for civilian jobs he held during times he said he was out of the country.

While Moneymaker claimed to have been a decorated U.S. Army Ranger with more than 20 years of service, prosecutors say he actually served in the Army from 1983 to 1985 before being discharged for misconduct. Prosecutors say that shrapnel scars Moneymaker claimed to have on his back were actually surgical scars from liposuction.

“At a time when American men and women are courageously serving our country in war zones in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, and are suffering real wounds as a result of their sacrifices, individuals who lie about combat serve and wounds, especially for their own financial gain, should be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” acting U.S. Attorney Julia C. Dudley said in a statement.