False Statements—Lisa Jane Phillips

Lisa Jane Phillips of Apex, North Carolina, has pleaded guilty to impersonating an Air Force captain, lying to federal agents, wire fraud, and misusing military medals.^[1] Ms. Phillips received free tuition from Meredith College, a private women’s institution in Raleigh, North Carolina in gratitude for her supposed service in Afghanistan and Iraq.^[2]

Ms. Phillips enrolled at Meredith in January, 2002, and roughly two months later she began wearing an Air Force captain’s uniform and medals that were purchased on line or at surplus stores.^[3] Occasionally, she claimed to have been wounded while deployed, and even consoled students with loved ones who had been deployed.^[4] School officials were so taken with Ms. Phillips that they waived her tuition.

Ms. Phillips downfall came as campus police chief Frank Strickland became suspicious of her stories and contacted the FBI.^[5] Additionally, college officials have cited privacy laws in refusing to explain how they were fooled by a woman who enrolled at the school before the war in Iraq even began.^[6]

Impersonating a Military Officer
Impersonating a military officer is a crime under 18 U.S.C. § 912, which states that is illegal for a person to falsely assumes or pretend to be an officer of any department of the United States and while doing so, either act as an officer or obtain any money because of it.

Violating section 912 can be punished with a fine, imprisonment for up to three years, or both.

Lying to Federal Agents
Lying to the FBI is a crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1001, which states that it is a crime for a person, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive branch, to make a materially false statement or representation.^[7]

The punishment for violating section 1001 is a fine, imprisonment for up to five years, or both.^[8]

Wire Fraud
Wire fraud is a crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1343, which makes it a crime for a person to devise a scheme or artifice to defraud and use a means of wire communication to carry it out.

The punishment for violating section 1343 is a fine, imprisonment for up to twenty years, or both.

Misuse of Military Medals
Misusing military medals is a crime covered by 18 U.S.C. § 704. Under this section, it is illegal for a person to knowingly wear any of the service medals or badges awarded to the members of the armed forces except when that person is authorized to wear them.^[9]

The punishment for violating section 704 is a fine, imprisonment for up to six months, or both.^[10]

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[1] Woman Accused of Scamming School with War Stories Pleads Guilty, Raleigh Herald-Sun, Sept. 27, 2005, available here.
[2] Id.
[3] Id.
[4] Id.
[5] Id.
[6] Id.
[7] 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2).
[8] Id. § 1001(a).
[9] Id. § 704(a).
[10] Id.