A former Marine Corps veteran has been arrested by federal authorities in Western Massachusetts over alleged fraudulent claims related to his service in the US military.
Paul John “PJ” Herbert, 52, of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, falsely claimed to be the sole survivor of a hostile IED explosion in Iraq, going so far as to fraudulently apply for a Purple Heart award .
Federal charges were filed against him for allegedly receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in disability benefits, which the government said he was not entitled to.
Last year, Herbert admitted embellishing his military service and receiving medals and money he didn’t deserve, but on Friday he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Herbert served on active duty in the Marines from 1989 to 1993 and in the reserves from 1993 to 1995.
Former Marine Corps veteran Paul John ‘PJ’ Herbert, 52, was arrested on charges of alleged fraudulent claims arising from military service
Fifteen years after leaving the military, Herbert is accused of repeatedly embezzling and stealing approximately $344,040 in disability benefits between January 2010 and March 2023.
In his application for the Purple Heart filed through his local congressman in October 2018, Herbert falsely claimed that he suffered a traumatic brain injury from a roadside explosion in northern Iraq while on duty.
The indictment alleges that Herbert’s statement was knowingly false, stating, “In truth and fact, as the defendant was well aware, his statement was false.”
Herbert now faces one charge of theft of government money and one charge of making false statements.
The Purple Heart is a prestigious military decoration awarded to persons wounded or killed in combat
If convicted, Herbert could face a maximum prison sentence of ten years for theft of public money and a maximum of five years for making false statements.’
He appeared in court on Friday and has been released pending his next court appearance.
In the past, Herbert recounted how he was traveling through the mountains of Iraq with a contingent of British Royal Marines when they hit an IED.
He explained how at the time he helped provide safe passage for Kurds fleeing Saddam Hussein’s chemical attacks as part of Operation Provide Comfort, which ran from 1991 to 1996.
“I think about it, and sometimes I hear the sound of the propeller or the helicopter,” Herbert told the channel Hampshire Daily Gazette in 2017.
He told how he was evacuated to a hospital in Turkey before returning to Iraq weeks later.
But his story was picked up years later by a group of veterans, who noted that IEDs were relatively uncommon before the early 2000s.
Veterans who knew Herbert and had already seen his discharge papers said the stories he told did not correlate with his official record.
Another local vet who told of their own confrontation with death and whose story spoke of hearing a helicopter’s propeller as they regained consciousness also suddenly had similar details in Herbert’s “memories.”
In August 2022, Herbert finally publicly confessed that he had fabricated large parts of his personal history.
Aside from the Purple Heart, for which Herbert was rejected, Herbert allegedly admitted to wearing more than a dozen other ribbons and medals that he never earned, including a Bronze Star Medal for Bravery, the US’s fourth-highest combat award. army.
Herbert fraudulently wore at least fourteen military decorations, but claims he threw away the decorations he did not deserve.
“I just had to feel important. I started to feel important and good about myself and I didn’t know a way out,” Herbert told the BBC Greenfield recorder last year.
“I know I hurt a lot of people who trusted me and cared about me and everything else. I didn’t want any of that stuff. I got mad at myself. I hated myself. I still hate myself for this.
“I didn’t want all that stuff. I got mad at myself. I hated myself. I still hate myself for this,” he said at the time. “I’ve lost a lot of good friends.”
The Purple Heart is a prestigious military decoration awarded to persons wounded or killed in combat.
The award carries significant significance in the U.S. military and provides recipients with several benefits, including preferential enlistment status for federal jobs, tax benefits, and prioritized health care through the U.S. Veterans Affairs Department.
Herbert also reportedly received a service dog funded by the VA.
“I don’t know how to explain it to those guys. And I feel terrible about it,” Herbert told the Greenfield recorder. “I have much good in my heart.”
The misuse of such awards is widely regarded as an insult to true Purple Heart recipients, who have made significant sacrifices in the service of their country.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Joshua S. Levy stressed the importance of respecting the sacrifices made by actual military personnel, saying fraudulent claims dishonored their service.
Every day, thousands of brave soldiers selflessly risk their lives to protect our country. To steal from our country’s veterans or to claim courage when it is not there is an insult to the honorable military who sacrifice themselves for our security.”