U.S. Marine imposter gets probation, ordered to undergo mental health counseling
Steven Douglas Burton violated a federal statute that prohibits the unauthorized display of military medals. The 39-year-old defendant pleaded guilty to the federal misdemeanor charge Dec. 14 as part of a plea deal with the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Monday, March 15, 2010
A Palm Springs man was sentenced today to a year’s probation and ordered to undergo mental health counseling for impersonating a U.S. Marine and wearing medals for valor that he never earned.
“I am deeply sorry for these events,” Steven Douglas Burton told U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips. “I wish I would’ve used better judgment.”
Burton, 39, violated a federal statute that prohibits the unauthorized display of military medals. The defendant pleaded guilty to the federal misdemeanor charge Dec. 14 in a plea deal with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Phillips ordered Burton to pay a $250 fine and barred him from owning any military uniforms, insignia or awards.
Burton told the judge when he entered his plea that he was seeing a doctor and receiving treatment, though he did not specify for what. He also said he was taking antidepressants.
The judge noted that the pre-sentencing report referred to a “relatively severe depression that preceded the offense” and that Burton had been “troubled for a long time.”
“It looks as if (Mr. Burton) is responding to treatment,” Phillips said. “The mental health counseling condition (of probation) is necessary.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Burton showed up for his 20- year class reunion at Alhambra High School in Martinez, Calif., in October 2008 wearing a Marine Corps dress uniform studded with medals, including the Navy Cross, the second-highest combat commendation behind the Medal of Honor.
Burton wore a lieutenant colonel’s insignia and told people he had spent a career in the service, according to the FBI.
One of Burton’s classmates, a U.S. Navy commander, was suspicious and snapped a photograph of Burton, which shows him wearing 14 medals, including a Navy Cross, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Legion of Merit badge and Combat Action ribbon.
The commander made an official inquiry regarding Burton’s service and discovered he had never been in the Marines or any other branch of the Armed Forces, according to the FBI.
In the ensuing investigation, federal agents learned the defendant had an Internet blog on which he “bragged” about overseas tours of duty that involved combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The first documented case of Burton wearing a military uniform with decorations was during a 2007 Halloween party in Cathedral City, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A few months later, he posted a photo of himself online showing him standing on a beach on Coronado Island wearing a USMC uniform, complete with medals and stripes indicating the rank of gunnery sergeant.
“The defendant chose the rank of … gunnery sergeant because it is a well-respected rank within the USMC,” court documents state.
The documents indicate Burton purchased most of his decorations on eBay and at military surplus stores, including one outside the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms.
Burton was employed as an information technology specialist at a Palm Springs bank but was fired in January after 12 years on the job, according to his attorney, Michael DeFrank, who blamed the negative publicity surrounding the case.
Tags: Bronze Star, Combat Action ribbon, Legion of Merit badge, marine corps, Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Purple Heart, Steven Douglas Burton, SWRNN, U.S. Attorney's office, U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips, U.S. Marine imposter
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Comment by: Bag of Randomness Posted: March 15, 2010, 7:11 pm
[...] Impersonating a military hero is a low thing to do. [...]