Ex-mayor who lied about Army record to face judge

Ex-mayor who lied about Army record to face judge
By GEOFF MULVIHILL – 1 hour ago

MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. (AP) — Robert Levy's record in the Vietnam War was impressive: two Army tours and several honors, including a Bronze Star. It just wasn't as impressive as he claimed.

Decades of lies caught up with him when he was mayor of Atlantic City, where four of the last nine mayors have been charged over the years with taking bribes. Levy's crimes, for which he is to be sentenced Friday in a Camden federal courtroom, may have been less damaging to the city, but they felt like a smack to his fellow veterans.

"What we've got is our honor," said Rick Weidman, director of government affairs at Vietnam Veterans of America. "When people don't tell the truth, it tarnishes our honor."

Levy, 61, admitted to a federal judge last year that he embellished his military record to get nearly an additional $25,000 in disability benefits from the government. He likely faces up to six months in prison under a plea deal but is hoping to receive probation.

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