A Roanoke man who adorned his short military record with false tales of global combat missions and war wounds in order to collect disability payments was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison.

Randall Moneymaker also was ordered to pay back the more than $18,000 he received from the government.

For years, Moneymaker claimed he had been on active duty since the early 1980s, serving as an Army Ranger in hot spots such as Grenada, Panama, Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq. According to documents introduced at his March trial, though, he served in the Army Reserves in 1981 and 1982 and in the Army only from 1983 to 1985. He was given a general discharge under honorable conditions, a discharge slightly below an honorable discharge.

In a written statement issued after the sentencing in U.S. District Court, acting U.S. Attorney Julia Dudley called Moneymaker's charade "despicable."

"At a time when American men and women are courageously serving our country in war zones in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere, and are suffering real wounds as a result of their sacrifices, individuals who lie about combat service and wounds, especially for their own financial gain, should be punished to the fullest extent of the law," Dudley said.

A federal jury convicted Moneymaker of five counts of making false statements on forms he filled out to obtain disability and retirement benefits; and one count of theft of government property. He had faced a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison.

Moneymaker's tales were so convincing he was able to win a job as a recruiter for the Army's Active Guard Reserve in Roanoke in 2004. During his trial, he said he had been on active duty until taking that job but the military had lost his records.
Contact Rex Bowman at (540) 344-3612 or rbowman@timesdispatch.com.