- Joined
- Apr 13, 2011
- Messages
- 34,951
- Reaction score
- 16,311
- Gender
- Undisclosed
- Political Leaning
- Socialist
A 30-year-old Pennsylvania man could face a federal investigation after being called out on video for impersonating an Army veteran, WCAU-TV reported.
The footage of the encounter has reportedly amassed more than 2.8 million views online since being posted by 26-year-old Army Sgt. Ryan Berk. Berk, who earned a Purple Heart award for his service in Afghanistan, encountered the man while shopping at a mall in Langhorne with his girlfriend and his son on Nov. 28.
“To have this guy then pretend that he’s done the same thing on the caliber that my friends did, it just gets you infuriated,” Berk said.
The Bucks County Courier Times identified the man Berk filmed as Sean Yetman, and reported that Yetman pleaded guilty in 2003 to charges of impersonating a public servant for wearing a coat belonging to Philadelphia police officer Robert Hays, who died in the line of duty in 1995.
The New York Daily News reported that state Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick (R) contacted federal investigators after seeing the video. The Army confirmed that Yetman has no affiliation with the service.
At one point, Berk shouts, “Stolen Valor,” a reference to the Stolen Valor Act, a law passed last year making anyone caught reaping tangible benefits from impersonating a service member subject to federal criminal charges.
Read more and video @: Fake veteran called out by actual soldier may face federal charges
Saw this video earlier this week. Its really disgusting that people impersonate soldiers to get some sort of personal ego trip or some sort of deal. I'm glad that he got called out for his disgusting acts and I hope that if he did indeed break a law be persecuted for it.