Maj. Anthony Calderone
 

My HERO!:rolleyes:


Fake out: Officer faces jail for phony medals
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Nov 25, 2007 8:22:53 EST

The awards and badges Maj. Anthony Angelo Calderone wore turned his Class A uniform into a colorful billboard of combat heroism and professional achievement.

The Army Reserve major, who served in Iraq in 2005, wore a Silver Star, the Special Forces and Ranger tabs and other insignia.

The problem is Calderone didn’t earn any of those awards. Moreover, he used the illegitimate awards to nail down his promotion to major.

On Sept. 20, Calderone pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of lying about his awards and qualifications in order to gain a promotion. Sentencing is pending in U.S. District Court in Salt Lake City. He faces a maximum sentence of five years and six months in prison and fines of up to $255,000.

The bogus awards include the Silver Star, the third-highest award for valor; the Special Forces and Ranger tabs; the Senior Parachutist Badge; the Military Freefall Parachutist Badge; the Special Operations Diver Badge; the Pathfinder Badge; the Combat Infantryman Badge; the Humanitarian Service Medal; the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal; the United Nations Medal; the Army Good Conduct Medal; and the Southwest Asia Service Medal.

continued;

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/1..._faker_071125/

Hmmmm...
 

Wonder if any members of the 100th Bn/442nd RCT alumni association are aware of this. Those tabs he wears are above the SSI of the 442nd. The only combat arms unit in the USAR - and a rather impressive war record from World War II. I seem to recall that one of the members of the House of Representatives is a former member of that unit. :munchin

V/R,

Complete betrayal of trust.

He needs hard time and a BCD.

TR

Man sentenced to five years for falsifying military honors
 

Man sentenced for falsifying military honors

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=2694760

A Utah soldier who displayed his military achievements on his uniform is headed to federal prison. He didn't actually earn any of those medals. Anthony Calderone was punished in a civilian court because he was not active duty.

Calderone moved to Utah in 1993 and joined the Utah Army National Guard's 19th Special Forces Group. After a break, he joined the Army Reserve. Prosecutors say he wore false decorations of valor and falsified records to cover it up. He then got a promotion and a pay raise.

Calderone buried his head in his attorney's lap and cried when the judge sentenced him to five months in federal prison. Moments before, he tearfully apologized to the people of this country and all the servicemen. "If you put me in jail, it will save my life, but my soul is already destroyed," he said.

Lt. Col. Randy Watt, with the 19th Special Forces, said, "He's now a convicted felon, as he should be. To me though, there's nothing that can recover the lost honor for the U.S. Army."

Lieutenant Watt is the kind of soldier federal prosecutors said Calderone pretended to be. Watt never knew Calderone but testified about his own military experience at the hearing.

Watt was involved in a combat mission against Al-Qaida forces in Afghanistan in 2002. He was nominated for the Silver Star Medal.

Calderone wore the Silver Star -- the third highest award for valor -- and many others.

Lt. Watt said, "For him to falsify not only a silver star, but all the other combat on his badge, the special forces tag, the ranger tag, the combat diver and the halo awards, as well, is absolutely despicable."

The defense attorney described Calderone as a good soldier who defended his country. But prosecutors said he demeaned the service of real American heroes, heroes like Lieutenant Colonel Watt.

"The military community will be grateful that the state of Utah and the U.S. government chose to prosecute him and has sentenced his as appropriately as they have, and has sent a message to others who fake these types of awards," Lt. Watt said.

According to court documents, the process has started to discharge Calderone from the Army. However, he cannot be dishonorably discharged because he did not face a court martial, but rather, was punished in a civilian court.

I appreciate the sentiment, but the ignorance of the author in regards to military rank, titles, awards, and decorations is disappointing and disturbing to me.

You would think that they could have found at least one writer with enough military knowledge to get things right. They do have references for that sort of thing.

That probably explains a lot about the bias of the media.:rolleyes:

I hope Calderone's cellmate likes posers. Don't drop the soap! :D

TR

Time Frame
 

He only got 5 mths, should have been 5 years

S

A better write up on my hero
 

Major gets 5 months for faking awards

By Matthew Cox - Staff Writer
Posted : Wednesday Feb 20, 2008 9:11:48 EST

A U.S. District Court judge sentenced Army Reserve Maj. Anthony Angelo Calderone on Tuesday to five months in prison for lying about his Army achievements and awards — including his bogus claim a Silver Star for heroism in battle — so he could get promoted faster.

The Salt Lake City, Utah court also ordered Calderone to pay $9,300 in restitution to the Army, wages he earned as the result of his promotion to major, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Lund.

Calderone pleaded guilty in federal court Sept. 20 to charges of lying about his awards and qualifications in order to gain a promotion.

The felony charge of knowingly making false statements carried up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Calderone was also accused of wearing false decorations between Nov. 22, 2003, and Dec. 3, 2006. That charge, a misdemeanor, carried a maximum sentence of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

“I’m pleased the outcome,” Lund said. I think the offenses were serious … his conduct of falsely wearing a Silver Star demeans the service and sacrifices of legitimate American heroes who have fought and died for this country.”

Calderone left the sentencing hearing under orders to return by a certain date in the future to serve out his sentence, said Lund, who did not know Calderone’s scheduled return date.

Calderone, who was deployed to Iraq from January 2005 to December 2005, also admitted to knowingly and willfully making false statements about his tours of duty, qualifications and awards. He was charged with falsely including unauthorized decorations and listing tours of duty and military training that he had not completed.

Court documents say Calderone put those false statements, including that he had a Silver Star, the Special Forces and Ranger tabs, and the Combat Infantry Badge, on his DA Form 2-1, the personal qualification record, and on his DD 214, the certificate of release from active duty. Calderone later submitted the falsified DD 214 to his Army Reserve unit, according to court documents. Those false statements on official military documents led to his promotion to major in July 2006, and led to him earning more pay, according to court documents.




http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/0...tence_080219w/

Serves him right. I concur that he should have received more time, but something is better than nothing, I guess. It looks like somebody gets to drop the soap for him hehehe:p

I don't know TS, nothing I've read so far mentions the "Stolen Valor" act!!!! :mad:

Big Teddy :munchin

Usually not isolated ...
 

This kind of behavior is usually indicative of a pattern. In order to cross this particular line of betrayal and breach of trust, this former officer must have divorced himself from the Army Values and the Warrior Ethos a long time ago. As such, I bet that a look deep into his service might reveal other infractions. I'd check if this guy ever handled OPFUND, or contracts, etc.

I wonder who's lap his head will be in for the next 5 months? I bet that will make him cry more!

A good friend of mine once said that he was "too pretty to go to jail".

The penitentiary is a bad, bad, place. Five months' time just scares the living hell out of me.

Sf Tab...
 

SF Tab, Ranger tab, silver star...blah, blah, blah...What really chaps my ass is that bogus scuba bubble! He should be sentenced to a life at the Copa on Duval Street for faking that! Douchebag!

The volunteer ribbon really chaps my ass.

SFC18C,

LMAO,your absolutely right!.....................:boohoo:boohoo:boohoo

Big Teddy :munchin