Governor Wolf signed a bill into law Tuesday that makes it a crime to impersonate a member of the military.
The bill signed by Governor Wolf would make it a third degree misdemeanor with a maximum of one year in jail and a fine up to $2,000.
The Governor said, “For someone to fraudulently present themselves as worthy of the benefits and the gratitude that the men and women of the armed forces earned, that’s really inexcusable. It’s actually offensive to the memories of our veterans and it should be offensive to everybody in Pennsylvania.”
Khris Douglas is an army veteran who served in Kuwait. He says that any real service member didn’t sign up just for the perks they’d receive when they came home. He explained, “Anybody that joined the army or the military, wasn’t expecting the benefits. They just did it because they wanted to serve their country. For the valor.”
Douglas says that he appreciates all of the support that veterans receive from members of the community and local businesses. He says anyone who pretends to be a service member misrepresents that honor that comes with it.
He said, “Everyone goes out of their way to help veterans. You know, there’s so many people that go out of their way. So, for anybody to take advantage of it, it’s pretty low.”
Douglas agrees with the move to make this a crime. He says anyone who does this should be held accountable for their actions. He explained, “If you can deter someone stealing essentially veterans benefits, taking advantage of it, and if you can protect the valor, I’m all for it.”
This bill addresses anyone who pretends to be military in order to receive any type of benefit including health and job preferences.
