Report: Army faker will not face more charges - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Report: Army faker will not face more charges

SAN ANTONIO — An Army veteran sentenced to probation for fabricating a dazzling military career will not face additional felony charges for the benefits he allegedly received based on false claims, according to a newspaper report.

Brian Culp, 38, was sentenced to three years’ probation Dec. 30 after falsely claiming a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star Medal with valor along with creating a fake military identification that gave him access to bases. He also was being investigated over allegations he received $11,000 in benefits fraudulently.

Culp told detectives he was receiving 60 percent disability payments from the Veterans Administration based on false claims about seeing mass war graves in Bosnia and being wounded there, according to the investigative file. However, Culp was never in Bosnia.

A decision not to prosecute was made this week after a review of the case that was prepared jointly by the Office of Inspector General for Veterans Affairs and detectives at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

Investigators at the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Antonio declined to comment Thursday on the decision not to prosecute Culp, or even confirm it, the San Antonio Express-News reported Friday in its online edition.

“I am disappointed they chose not to pursue that. Culp confessed to me to lying about his war experiences and getting VA benefits for it,” Detective Steven Vaughan said.

During his sentencing last week, a federal judge said Culp, who served two tours in the Army, had served his country honorably and didn’t deserve prison. Culp showed none of the bravado or pretense he used to feign a fictional military career and was instead contrite and apologetic.

While serving in the Army, Culp was disciplined at least twice for making false claims about his record. He continued to do so after being honorably discharged, passing himself off as an elite Ranger.

But in August 2007, Culp was caught trying to enter Lackland with a fake ID card identifying him as a retired master sergeant. He eventually confessed to using his home computer to create his fake ID and highly embellished discharge papers.