Lisa Jane Phillips
Encyclopedia
Lisa Jane Phillips is the only woman to have been charged and convicted of impersonating a service member under the Stolen Valor Act of 2005
. As a military impostor
, she attended Meredith College
for three years, where she was exposed by an official. She had received waivers of $42,000 in tuition.
, Raleigh, North Carolina
wearing a US Air Force
captain's military uniform. More than 30 years old, she claimed to be a pilot and to have served in Iraq
and Afghanistan
; she left school for purported two-week missions in those areas. She won the admiration of other women students, and the college invited her to give talks about her military experience.
In 2005 campus Police Chief Frank Strickland noticed that the medals on her dress uniform included one awarded for service in World War II
. Upon questioning, her accounts of fighting in Afghanistan
and Iraq
did not stand up to scrutiny. Meredith College officials called in the FBI.
In 2006, Phillips was charged with impersonating a military officer. She repaid the tuition costs, and received a sentence of a year and one day. Since the passage of the "Stolen Valor Act
" (2005), Phillips is the only woman to be charged and convicted of impersonating a service member. There have been more incidents of people impersonating service members since the beginning of the Iraq War.
Stolen Valor Act of 2005
The Stolen Valor Act of 2005, signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 20, 2006, is a U.S. law that broadens the provisions of previous U.S. law addressing the unauthorized wear, manufacture, or sale of any military decorations and medals. It makes it a federal misdemeanor offense to...
. As a military impostor
Impostor
An impostor or imposter is a person who pretends to be somebody else, often to try to gain financial or social advantages through social engineering, but just as often for purposes of espionage or law enforcement....
, she attended Meredith College
Meredith College
Meredith College is a liberal arts women's college located in Raleigh, North Carolina. For the 2010-2011 academic year, there were approximately 2,300 students enrolled, including about 350 graduate students, making Meredith the largest women's college in the southeastern United States...
for three years, where she was exposed by an official. She had received waivers of $42,000 in tuition.
History
In August 2002, Phillips started attending classes at Meredith CollegeMeredith College
Meredith College is a liberal arts women's college located in Raleigh, North Carolina. For the 2010-2011 academic year, there were approximately 2,300 students enrolled, including about 350 graduate students, making Meredith the largest women's college in the southeastern United States...
, Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
wearing a US Air Force
Air force
An air force, also known in some countries as an air army, is in the broadest sense, the national military organization that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army, navy or...
captain's military uniform. More than 30 years old, she claimed to be a pilot and to have served in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
; she left school for purported two-week missions in those areas. She won the admiration of other women students, and the college invited her to give talks about her military experience.
In 2005 campus Police Chief Frank Strickland noticed that the medals on her dress uniform included one awarded for service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Upon questioning, her accounts of fighting in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
did not stand up to scrutiny. Meredith College officials called in the FBI.
In 2006, Phillips was charged with impersonating a military officer. She repaid the tuition costs, and received a sentence of a year and one day. Since the passage of the "Stolen Valor Act
Stolen Valor Act of 2005
The Stolen Valor Act of 2005, signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 20, 2006, is a U.S. law that broadens the provisions of previous U.S. law addressing the unauthorized wear, manufacture, or sale of any military decorations and medals. It makes it a federal misdemeanor offense to...
" (2005), Phillips is the only woman to be charged and convicted of impersonating a service member. There have been more incidents of people impersonating service members since the beginning of the Iraq War.
See also
- Richard BlumenthalRichard BlumenthalRichard Blumenthal is the junior United States Senator from Connecticut and a member of the Democratic Party. Previously, he served as Attorney General of Connecticut....
- Paul H. Lemmen
- Jesse Adam Macbeth
- Terry J. PowellTerry J. PowellTerry J. Powell falsely claimed to be a recipient of the United States' highest decoration for valor, the Medal of Honor, and a veteran of the Vietnam and Iraq wars...
- Paul H. LemmenPaul H. LemmenPaul H. Lemmen is a military impostor and convicted criminal, specializing in fraud. To various acquaintainces, Lemmen claimed to have been an intelligence officer in the Irish Republican Army before coming to the United States...
- Wes CooleyWes CooleyWester Shadric "Wes" Cooley was a Republican politician and rancher from Oregon. He was a U.S. Representative from for the 1995–1997 term.-Early life:...