GREENCASTLE, FRANKLIN COUNTY, Pa.–A Greencastle man is heading to trial after police say he lied about combat injuries in order to avoid paying child support.
Justin A. Bennett Anderson, 33, is charged with forgery and unsworn falsification to authorities.
Police began investigating Bennett Anderson after they were contacted by Franklin County Domestic Relations on April 13 regarding a fraud case. Domestic Relations told police Bennett Anderson was $52,000 behind in child support payments and claimed to be a Veteran who was injured in combat.
Investigators said Bennett Anderson gave Domestic Relations several fraudulent military forms in order to avoid paying child support. One of the forms dated March 18, 2015 referred to Anderson as SSGT (Ret.) in the remarks section and stated that he had surgery to remove shrapnel from when his vehicle was hit in Ramadi, Iraq in 2005 by an explosive projectile, according to court documents. Another form from June 2015 noted Bennett Anderson had cardiovascular surgery on June 22, 2015.
Bennett Anderson claimed the documents were from Veterans Affairs and he was unable to get his medical records released to Domestic Relations.
When police spoke with the Director of Franklin County Veteran’s Affairs Office, they said the documents were actually Army forms so they would not have been used by the VA and that the form isn’t used to report on injuries. The Director also told investigators that Anderson’s medical records would easily have been provided by the VA if Bennett Anderson would have signed a release form.
Police discovered Anderson was discharged from the military with only an Army Service Ribbon, a bad conduct discharge and at the rank of Private.
Bennett Anderson admitted during an interview with police on April 16 to creating the documents and that he was never injured when he said he was, according to the criminal complaint.
Bennett Anderson waived his preliminary hearing on May 2.
