ST. LOUIS (AP) - A St. Louis man could face up to a year in prison after admitting that he pretended to be a Purple Heart recipient to scam people out of $4,300.
Federal authorities say 46-year-old Mark Chartrand pleaded guilty Thursday to a misdemeanor “Stolen Valor” charge. Sentencing is Aug. 22.
Chartrand was on a trip to California when he convinced Airbnb hosts that he was a decorated, wounded veteran. They allowed him to stay without paying a delinquent bill and loaned him money for car repairs.
He will be required to pay back the money to the victims.
Chartrand pleaded guilty in 2012 to a charge of impersonating a federal agent. He received five years on probation.
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