Marine imposter suspect to plead guilty

Marine imposter suspect to plead guilty

10:15 PM PST on Friday, December 4, 2009

By JOHN ASBURY
The Press-Enterprise

A Palm Springs man has agreed to plead guilty to one federal charge of the unauthorized wearing of military medals he did not earn to impress his classmates at a high school reunion.

Steven Burton, 39, is scheduled to enter his plea Dec. 14 in U.S. Federal Court in Riverside, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Akrotirianakis.

Burton pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charge Nov. 12, a day after the charge was filed on Veterans Day. He is free on $10,000 bond.

FBI agents and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service began investigating Burton when he appeared at a high school reunion dressed as a lieutenant colonel. At the reunion in the Bay-area community of Martinez, Burton wore several medals, including the Purple Heart and the Navy Cross, the highest medal awarded by the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps.

A Naval commander attending the reunion took a picture that included Burton and submitted it to investigators. Authorities discovered Burton had posted his photo on blogs claiming that he served in Iraq and Afghanistan, though he never served in any branch of the military.
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