Man tossed from basic admits falsifying record - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Man tossed from basic admits falsifying record

SEATTLE — A man who claimed to have participated in war crimes while serving in Iraq pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal charge of making false statements about his record.

Jesse Adam Macbeth, 23, acknowledged lying about his service to the Department of Veterans Affairs in an effort to qualify for medical disability compensation.

Macbeth claimed to have served in the Army from May 2001 to June 2004, to have reached the rank of corporal, and to have been awarded a Purple Heart after being wounded in Iraq. In reality, he was kicked out of the Army after six weeks at Fort Benning, Ga., in 2003 because of his “entry level performance and conduct.”

Macbeth garnered attention on the Internet and in some alternative media when he claimed to have participated in war crimes in Iraq, including the slaughtering of worshippers at a mosque. As part of his plea agreement, he admitted fabricating those stories.

U.S. District Judge Robert Lasnik is scheduled to sentence Macbeth on Sept. 21. The charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.