Former marine is arrested for ‘LYING’ about being sole survivor of enemy IED blast in Iraq, claiming $344,000 of disability benefits and even submitting application for Purple Heart

A former Marine Corps veteran has been arrested by federal authorities in western Massachusetts for fraudulent allegations related to his service in the US military.

Paul John ‘PJ’ Herbert, 52, of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, falsely claimed he was the sole survivor of an enemy IED detonation in Iraq, even going so far as to submit a fraudulent application for a Purple Heart award.

Federal charges have been filed against him for allegedly receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in disability benefits that the government claims he was not entitled to.

Last year, Herbert admitted to embellishing his military service and receiving medals and money he did not earn, but on Friday he pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.

Herbert served in the active duty Marines from 1989 to 1993 and in the reserve from 1993 to 1995.

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, submitted through his local congressman in October 2018, Herbert falsely claimed to have suffered head trauma from a roadside explosion in northern Iraq while deployed. .

The indictment alleges that Herbert’s statement was knowingly false: “In truth and in fact, as the accused well knew, his statement was false.

Herbert now faces one count of stealing government money and one count of making false statements.

The Purple Heart is a prestigious military decoration awarded to individuals wounded or killed in action.

If convicted, Herbert could face a maximum sentence of 10 years for theft of government money and a maximum of five years for misrepresentation.

He appeared before a judge on Friday and was released pending his next court appearance.

In the past, Herbert recounted how he was traveling through the mountains in Iraq with a contingent of British Royal Marines when they hit an IED.

He explained how, at the time, he helped ensure 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 noise of the propeller or the helicopter,” Herbert told the Hampshire Daily Gazette in 2017.

He recounted how he was evacuated to a hospital in Turkey before returning to Iraq a few weeks later.

But his story was picked up a few years later by a group of veterans who pointed out that IEDs were relatively rare before the early 2000s.

Veterans who knew Herbert and had previously seen his discharge papers said the stories he told did not match his official service record.

Another local vet who said he had a near-death experience and whose story was of hearing about a helicopter propeller when they regained consciousness also saw similar details suddenly pop up in his ‘memories’. ‘Herbert.

In August 2022, Herbert finally confessed publicly to having made up much of his personal history.

Besides the Purple Heart, for which Herbert was rejected, Herbert reportedly admitted to wearing more than a dozen other ribbons and medals that he never won, including a Bronze Star Medal for bravery, the fourth-highest combat award in the United States. military.

Herbert fraudulently wore at least 14 military awards, but claims to have thrown away those he did not earn.

“I just needed to feel important. I started to feel important and feel good about myself and I didn’t know how to get out of it,” Herbert told the Greenfield Recorder Last year.

“I know I hurt a lot of people who trusted me and cared about me and stuff…I didn’t want any of that. I got angry with myself. I hated myself. I still hate myself for that.

“I didn’t want any of that. I got angry with myself. I hated myself. I still hate myself for that,” he said at the time. “I lost a lot of really, really good friends.”

The Purple Heart is a prestigious military decoration awarded to individuals wounded or killed in action.

This award holds significant significance in the U.S. military, as it grants recipients various benefits, including preferential hiring status for federal jobs, tax breaks, and priority health care through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Fighters.

Herbert also reportedly received a service dog funded by the VA.

“I don’t know how to explain it to these guys. And I feel awful about it,” Herbert said last year to the Greenfield recorder. “I have a lot of good in my heart.”

The misuse of such honors is widely seen as an affront to true Purple Heart recipients, who have made great sacrifices in service to their country.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Joshua S. Levy stressed the importance of respecting the sacrifices made by true service members and said fraudulent claims dishonor their service.

“Every day, thousands of brave service members selflessly risk their lives to protect our country. Stealing from our country’s veterans or claiming courage where there is none is an insult to the honorable servicemen who sacrifice themselves for our safety.