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Saturday, March 13, 2010

Beware the Phony Veterans

OFF THE WIRE
OUT OF FLORIDA
Sun-Sentinel
State lawmakers got together Friday morning at the VA Primary Care Clinic here with a message to the public: Beware the phony veterans.
There's a growing epidemic in South Florida where men and women in fatigues stand at grocery stores or at intersections asking for donations for military veterans. They are imposters and can get up to $400 a day and only about 15 percent goes to real veterans, lawmakers said.
"Having non-veterans wear [uniforms] to mislead the public into giving up their hard-earned money is unconscionable," State Sen. Dan Gelber of Miami Beach said. "Americans who donate charitably deserve to know that their money is going to veterans."
Gelber, along with State Rep. Maria Sachs of Delray Beach announced bills in both the house and senate that would make would make it a felony to misrepresent oneself as a veteran. They were surrounded by veterans, including Gelber's father, who served in WWII.
Gelber said there are already 14 states that have passed or are considering similar legislation.
"These bills will make protecting the honor of our veterans and members of the military a top priority," said Sachs, whose late father was also a WWII veteran. "Nothing made my father more proud then to wear the uniform of the United States Army."
There are 1.7 million veterans in the state, Sachs said. The idea for the legislation came from the observations of Broward County Commissioner Kristin Jacobs' office that noticed the impostors and became offended by it.
The federal Stolen Valor Act, expanded in 2006, made it illegal to fraudulently wear a medal of honor or falsely represent that that honor had been received.
Neal Quittell, was suited in fatigues wearing a hat that said "Veterans Support Organization" Friday morning, standing on Northeast 17th Street and Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale, collecting money.
"I'm not a veteran and I know I'm not, I can't sit out here and lie," Quittell said. "We're a non-profit organization...Our money goes out to the veterans and the VAs."
Jacobs' district aide, Franco Ripple -- who was credited with calling attention to the veterans' issue -- said the Lauderhill-based Veterans Support Organization, "is one of the largest perpetrators throughout the eastern U.S. and Florida, known as the 'granddaddy' of the offending organizations."
Justin Wells, South Florida chief operating officer for the non-profit said his organization gives 65 percent back to the veterans and welcomed Jacobs' office to look at their records. He said the non-veterans of his organization wear a uniform to represent the veterans.
"You don't have to be a veteran to help a veteran," Wells said. "We agree that vet groups should be more watched and that they should be held to a higher standard."
Street impostors file for corporate status which requires them to give veterans a portion of their donations, Gelber said, but the public should donate to one of the groups sanctioned by the U.S. Congress -- that way veterans will get the money intended for them.
"They dishonor us, they take away from us, they tarnish our name," said Eddie Cruz, of American Legion Post 162 and the Marine Corps League. "Unfortunately there are parasites all over."
Jacobs said the public should view "Gift Givers' Guide: A Guide to Charitable Giving in Florida" online before donating to men on street corners.
"Ask them for their identification," Jacobs said. "If they don't give it to you, then don't give [money]."
When questioned, a lot of the imposters just relocate, Gelber said, so it is hard to determine how many of them are out there.
"We owe it to our veterans to defend their valor," he said.