Army Reserve Maj. Anthony Calderone pleaded guilty Sept. 20 in federal court to charges of lying about his awards and qualifications in order to gain a promotion. His sentencing has been postponed until Jan. 2.Faker sentencing postponed to Jan. 2By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Dec 3, 2007 21:33:11 EST
An Army Reserve major who pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of lying about his awards and qualifications in order to gain a promotion is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 2.
The sentencing for Anthony Angelo Calderone was postponed from Wednesday to this new date. Calderone pleaded guilty on Sept. 20 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.
News reports and civilian watchdogs reveal an increase in cases of individuals faking military service or awards as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan fuel the imaginations of wannabe war heroes. Many of those who have been busted for faking their military credentials are former soldiers or lower enlisted troops who were kicked out of the service for one reason or another. The case against Calderone, 41, is unique because he is an officer and still in the service. His is the first case of a service member — officer or enlisted — falsely claiming awards or decorations to be prosecuted in federal court in Utah, said Robert Lund, the assistant U.S. attorney prosecuting the case.
Calderone, who served in Iraq from January 2005 to December 2005, wore a Silver Star, the third-highest award for valor, the Special Forces and Ranger tabs and other insignia he didn’t earn and he used the illegitimate awards to get his promotion to major.
Calderone also admitted to knowingly and willfully making false statements about his tours of duty, qualifications and awards, and 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.
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