Mel
04-24-2011, 08:11 PM
AKRON, Ohio—
The FBI and Akron Police have arrested a West Virginia man, for allegedly posing as a top U.S. military official.
Investigators said that in March, 56-year-old Randall Thomas Kyser applied for a $175,000 a year job with a company called Tri-C Construction in Akron.
Kyser told company officials that he was a major general in the United States Army. Kyser claimed that he had commanded U.S. troops during the 1st and 2nd Gulf Wars, and in Afghanistan.
But when company executives tried to check Kyser's references, they began to suspect that he was a fraud.
Special Agent Steven Jackson of the Cleveland Office of the FBI told Fox 8, "kind of name dropping, saying different generals would him job descriptions and they would vouch for his authenticity but that those persons were hard to get a hold of so they would have to contact the victim company. Those persons who they thought would then start calling. However, it appears it was just him kind of disguising his voice and saying he was other generals in the U.S. military. that was one big indicator."
Federal investigators said to maintain the illusion that he was a general, Kyser actually wore a general's uniform to a meeting he had with officials from Tri C Construction.
After the FBI determined there was no record Kyser had ever served in the military, he was arrested on a charge of wire fraud.
"Men and women of our armed servies put their lives on the line and serve our country and then you get a guy like this who tries to enrich himself at the expense of what others have put before him", said Special Agent Jackson, "obviously the FBI takes this case very seriously."
If convicted, Kyser could face up to five years in federal prison.
Check out video here.
http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-fake-army-general-txt,0,7320588.story
The FBI and Akron Police have arrested a West Virginia man, for allegedly posing as a top U.S. military official.
Investigators said that in March, 56-year-old Randall Thomas Kyser applied for a $175,000 a year job with a company called Tri-C Construction in Akron.
Kyser told company officials that he was a major general in the United States Army. Kyser claimed that he had commanded U.S. troops during the 1st and 2nd Gulf Wars, and in Afghanistan.
But when company executives tried to check Kyser's references, they began to suspect that he was a fraud.
Special Agent Steven Jackson of the Cleveland Office of the FBI told Fox 8, "kind of name dropping, saying different generals would him job descriptions and they would vouch for his authenticity but that those persons were hard to get a hold of so they would have to contact the victim company. Those persons who they thought would then start calling. However, it appears it was just him kind of disguising his voice and saying he was other generals in the U.S. military. that was one big indicator."
Federal investigators said to maintain the illusion that he was a general, Kyser actually wore a general's uniform to a meeting he had with officials from Tri C Construction.
After the FBI determined there was no record Kyser had ever served in the military, he was arrested on a charge of wire fraud.
"Men and women of our armed servies put their lives on the line and serve our country and then you get a guy like this who tries to enrich himself at the expense of what others have put before him", said Special Agent Jackson, "obviously the FBI takes this case very seriously."
If convicted, Kyser could face up to five years in federal prison.
Check out video here.
http://www.fox8.com/news/wjw-fake-army-general-txt,0,7320588.story