MoH faker gets 34 months in prison

[Vulture6]

MoH faker gets 34 months in prison

By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Nov 1, 2007 13:25:35 EDT

A former soldier was sentenced on Nov. 1 to almost three years in federal prison for felony bank fraud and one misdemeanor count of falsely claiming that he had earned the Medal of Honor.

Richard David McClanahan was sentenced during a 15-minute hearing in U.S. District Court in Amarillo, Texas, by federal district Judge Mary Lou Robinson.

McClanahan, 29, dressed in a black pinstriped suit and black and blue tie, was sentenced to 24 months for the felony bank fraud and 10 months for the misdemeanor, according to the U.S. attorney’s office in Amarillo and Brooks Barfield, McClanahan’s attorney. The sentences will run consecutively, resulting in a 34-month prison sentence.

He also will be under supervised release for five years after he completes his sentence, Barfield said.

McClanahan, who had been free on bond, was taken into custody immediately after the sentencing, Barfield said. The Bureau of Prisons will determine where McClanahan serves his prison term, he said. Until then, McClanahan will be held at the Randall County Detention Facility in Amarillo.

“I think he had made peace with what had happened,” Barfield said. “He expressed both to me and to the court that he understood what he did was wrong. He apologized in court for disgracing the uniform, disgracing the country. He apologized for any pain that he’s caused. He was truly contrite and he truly accepted his punishment.”

However, the judge, who has full discretion when determining the sentence, did go outside sentencing guidelines for the felony bank fraud charge, Barfield said. The guidelines call for a 4- to 10-month sentence, he said. McClanahan received 24 months.

“In my opinion it was a pretty stiff sentence based on the guidelines,” he said.” I think she was trying to send a message. I think if I was out there thinking about doing this I would certainly take this into account.”

McClanahan pleaded guilty Aug. 9 to two of three charges against him and admitted that he committed bank fraud and falsely claimed a Medal of Honor, Christy Drake, the assistant U.S. attorney in Amarillo, has said.

As part of the plea agreement the prosecution dropped the other charge against McClanahan, in which he was accused of falsely claiming he had three Silver Stars, three Purple Hearts and the Legion of Merit.

The bank fraud charge carried up to 30 years in prison, while the maximum sentence for the Medal of Honor charge was one year in prison.

McClanahan admitted to knowingly making a false statement to a federally insured financial institution in an effort to get a loan, according to information in a factual résumé Drake provided to Army Times.

McClanahan, who was an Army medic, also “continually lied about civilian life, military career, education and experiences” and he “displayed poor judgment by falsifying military documents,” according to the factual résumé.

“He lied about his participation in Operation Enduring Freedom; he lied to his senior [noncommissioned officers], officers and commanders about his military service, combat injuries, decorations and awards; and he was incompetent and disregarded soldiers’ medical issues by writing and signing unauthorized medical profiles,” according to the document.

The prosecution said that during the course of his misrepresentation of his military service, McClanahan received $9,500 in scholarship money and $2,000 in donations. He also tried to convince a local car dealership to give him a car because he had been nominated for the Medal of Honor, according to the factual résumé. When the dealership declined, McClanahan “grossly inflated” his income in his loan application to Amarillo National Bank, according to the factual résumé.

Army records for McClanahan show he never received an award for valor, and his only overseas assignment, Army officials said, was a yearlong tour in South Korea from 2003 to 2004. McClanahan was kicked out of the Army on similar charges. He spent time in prison, took a reduction in rank and received an other-than-honorable discharge on his way out, Army officials said. He was in the Army from 2001 to 2005 after a short stint in the Navy.

McClanahan understands he messed up his life and caused pain for others, Barfield said.

“It’s a pretty big blow, being sent to federal prison, but he stood there like a soldier and took his medicine,” he said. “The biggest hurt to him, and here’s the irony of this, he truly loved the military. He liked being a soldier, and that’s one of the biggest things he realized he did. He was very cognizant of the fact that he dishonored the uniform. Believe me, he knows what he did … and he understands why there was some outrage. That was his biggest regret, I think, that he hurt the people who are serving our country and he disrespected them.”

[Covertness]

“It’s a pretty big blow, being sent to federal prison, but he stood there like a soldier and took his medicine,” he said. “The biggest hurt to him, and here’s the irony of this, he truly loved the military. He liked being a soldier, and that’s one of the biggest things he realized he did. He was very cognizant of the fact that he dishonored the uniform. Believe me, he knows what he did … and he understands why there was some outrage. That was his biggest regret, I think, that he hurt the people who are serving our country and he disrespected them.”

Ain't a Soldier in my eyes and never was. Tell Bubba I said skip the lube.