Green Beret Impersonator Gets 21 Months

[MJS]

Andy M. posted this on FB, so I thought I'd post here.

BALTIMORE — For years, William Hillar’s tales about his exploits as an Army Green Beret and a puffed up resume helped him land jobs teaching counterterrorism and drug and human trafficking interdiction, but the scheme has now earned him 21 months in federal prison.
Hillar, 66, of Millersville, pleaded guilty to wire fraud earlier this year and was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court. He must pay $170,000 in restitution to the law enforcement and first responder organizations and schools that hired him believing that he had spent 28 years in the U.S. Special Forces, reaching the rank of colonel. He must also perform 500 community service hours at Maryland’s veteran cemeteries.

What makes people do things like this? Is he some wanna-be, who doesn't have the balls to go thru the training that it takes to become a Green Beret, so instead, he ********s people into believing he's something he isnt? I'm glad he was caught, and his pic. is plastered everywhere. Stuff like this, IMO, is really a disgrace to those that are serving this country, and have put in the hard work that it takes!

 

[WC_lun]

In my opinion, the sentence was light. His dishonesty worked upon the honor of military personel who worked thier tails off to become special services, then risked thier lives and sometimes died in our name. I've met people like him before and they all leave me with a very, very, bad taste in my mouth.

As for the agencies and people who were conned by this fellow, shame on them as well. They enabled this jackass by not following up on his fake resume. Seems a few phone calls or internet checks would have tumbled his house of cards quite easily.

 

[granfire]

Titanium balls....

 

[Bill Mattocks]

The one thing I can be glad of is that these days, people try to fool others into thinking they served honorably, instead of trying to convince others that they never served at all. Once it was considered honorable to be a draft-dodger and veterans were 'Baby Killers'. At least we have enough respect now that dirtbags wish they were us.

 

[granfire]

just a question:
Do those high profile government agencies not verify resumes anymore?

 

[Bill Mattocks]

just a question:
Do those high profile government agencies not verify resumes anymore?

How would they do that? The government doesn't give out that kind of information over the phone, even to other government agencies. For hiring as an employee, I could see it (and in fact expect it). For hiring a speaker off the talk circuit, I'm not surprised at all. And the longer they do it successfully, the more it looks like they must be legit.

 

[granfire]

How would they do that? The government doesn't give out that kind of information over the phone, even to other government agencies. For hiring as an employee, I could see it (and in fact expect it). For hiring a speaker off the talk circuit, I'm not surprised at all. And the longer they do it successfully, the more it looks like they must be legit.

dunno, when you work for that type of agency....it's called 'security clearance'?
The FBI comes around or calls people that know you etc, you know. Calling references...you know, doing the job....
This guy didn't get hired on by a mall!
This day and age with information at your fingertips, how freakin hard is it to do a background check?!

Hillar was paid more than $170,000 by state and local organizations across the country and the federal government — including the U.S. Army at Aberdeen Proving Ground, FBI Command College and various local divisions of the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs — to teach, lead seminars or speak since 1998, according to his plea agreement.

 

[Bill Mattocks]

dunno, when you work for that type of agency....it's called 'security clearance'?
The FBI comes around or calls people that know you etc, you know. Calling references...you know, doing the job....
This guy didn't get hired on by a mall!
This day and age with information at your fingertips, how freakin hard is it to do a background check?!

He got hired as a speaker on the lecture circuit. Not an employee. Background checks take a year or more and cost tens of thousands of dollars. It's not like the FBI hired him as an employee; they hired him off the speaking circuit to come in and give a rah-rah speech to a group of people.

 

[Tez3]

Which sub group of Walt is he?
http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Walts

 

[granfire]

which sub group of walt is he?
http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/walts

hahahahahahahha

 

[CanuckMA]

First, I hope he rots. Pond scum i way above him.

He was a lecturer, Bill has it right, you don't do a background check for a lecturer. Plus, did he just lie about being a Green Beret, ot about serving in the military altogether?

Because if he was in the service, I can see a local PD verifying years of service, but I don't think the Army will either confirm or deny membership in the SF.

Once you get a few gigs, it gets easier, and you are subject to less scrutiny.

 

[MAist25]

Wow, there are few things that piss me off more than people who impersonate service members, especially elite service members. This is just one more example of someone who didnt do anything with his life because he didnt have the balls, so instead he made up his own story of somebody he wishes he could have been. So pathetic....

 

[Stealthy]

dunno, when you work for that type of agency....it's called 'security clearance'?
The FBI comes around or calls people that know you etc, you know. Calling references...you know, doing the job....
This guy didn't get hired on by a mall!
This day and age with information at your fingertips, how freakin hard is it to do a background check?!

Not sure what it's like in the States but in Australia virtually nobody carries out a full background check.

I am cleared for just about everywhere. I have worked in some of the most secure environments you can imagine. Government Data Centres, Airforce Air Traffic Control Towers, Military Intelligence and Logistics HQ's, Free reign in Police stations both State and Federal(I even have master security passcodes for some stations, in one an officer came inside the secure room and opened the gun safe{combination lock} while I was in there) along with various other unusual Government facilities and nobody has ever done a background check.

The closest we have to actual background checks is air side on Domestic terminals(more secure than Military Air fields as it stands) but all they really check for is your previous address over the years, any discrepancy in your details will cause instant rejection but they rely on your own provided intel to double check your newer intel with anyway so the only time it causes problems is if you accidently tell them conflicting information. The second most secure is accomodation on Military bases(they like to know a little bit about who it is that's poking around in the private quarters of their service men and women) which requires Federal background checks but again they don't actually do them unless there is a perceived threat so basically you give them permission to do the check if they choose to but I've never seen them actually do it.

Everybody seems to just "assume" since you are there it must be okay. Of course on Military bases it is relative to general threat level so if the bases get locked down they become rock solid.

 

[hongkongfooey]

His punishment should have been 21 months of combat in Afghanistan.

 

[Stealthy]

His punishment should have been 21 months of combat in Afghanistan.

good call.

Wow, there are few things that piss me off more than people who impersonate service members, especially elite service members. This is just one more example of someone who didnt do anything with his life because he didnt have the balls, so instead he made up his own story of somebody he wishes he could have been. So pathetic....

....and dangerous, I wonder how many lives he cost before he got found out.

 

[granfire]

His punishment should have been 21 months of combat in Afghanistan.

he'd get some real soldiers killed....
But I hear they still have mine fields that need clearing....(if Princess Diana did it, so could he)