By Brett Gillin
Sometimes, acts of “Stolen Valor” can be a tricky thing. After all, there’s nothing technically illegal about impersonating a veteran, as it’s covered under your first amendment rights. However, when a person impersonates a veteran with the intentions of obtaining money, property, or other tangible benefits, then that person is in direct violation of the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 and is breaking the law. Furthermore, when that person is a career criminal and sex offender who has already been busted for impersonating a police officer, then we’ve entered into a whole new level of wrong.
Be on the lookout for a Miles Shoumake. According to reports from Guardian of Valor, Shoumake has been busted, on camera, three separate times pretending to be a veteran while trying to attain money, rides, and other services from an unsuspecting public.
In the first video captured, the man is filmed by a Veteran at a truck stop in Nebraska. According to the accompanying story, the veteran who filmed the encounter first noticed Shoumake standing outside the truck stop and figured something was wrong. Various things about his dress were wrong, so he confronted the man. The veteran quickly ascertained that Shoumake was lying when he didn’t know what a CAC was and claimed to have won three Purple Hearts. The video ends with the man being thanked for his service and handed money for a cab ride.
Only a few weeks later, the same man can be seen in this video, this time outside Fort Riley, Kansas. Shoumake is inside a Walmart, when a veteran walks up to him, asking questions about his service. Once again, the man is not wearing a nametag, is in violation of dress codes, and is unable to satisfactorily answer questions or produce any identification outside of a bus ticket with a military discount on it.
In the third video, Shoumake is once again confronted by a veteran, this time in Salina Kansas. This time, however, Shoumake refuses to engage with the man, who recognized him from the previous videos posted online. While Shoumake’s alleged acts of stolen valor might seem bad enough, his history shows they’re only the tip of the iceberg.
Two years ago, Miles Shoumake was charged with two counts of theft by deception, receiving stolen property, and identity theft when he conned Nancy Kunkel out of $160. According to Triblive.com, Shoumake identified himself as U.S. Army Sgt. William Coble and claimed that he needed money to get back to Fort Bragg or he would be considered AWOL, but when he was arrested on unrelated charges, police found that he was carrying Coble’s stolen military identification.
Back in 2008, Shoumake was arrested in Silver Springs after impersonating a law enforcement officer. At that time, according to the Elko Daily Free Press, Shoumake was trying to get free food and money from various establishments by claiming he was a police officer. He was arrested and charged with burglary, obtaining money by false pretenses, and impersonating an officer.
Guardian of Valor also reports that Shoumake has served prison sentences in several states, with charges ranging from fraud to fleeing to avoid arrest, and criminal sexual conduct. Arrest records show that Shoumake was convicted of Statutory Sexual Seduction and is a registered sex offender.
Somehow, Shoumake continues to impersonate soldiers and live life as a free man, but many are hoping that the latest acts of alleged stolen valor will catch up to him and send him back behind bars.
Hero worship is big in North America. Its big everywhere really. You see it all the time where people sports jerseys, Iron-man prosthetic arms etc. In those instances its actually encouraged. There is no proper line in the sand that properly honours our military. How do you separate someone from being hard core to this guys obvious abuse of the uniform with FC Barcelona, Los Angeles Lakers, LSU sports camps setting the presidance. You know that this is going to be his defence in court? You know that right?
He scammed my family in Pittsburgh also! More like a few thousand dollars and our love! He’s on parole here…I’m filing charges tomorrow…hope he gets extrudited back if he’s still in Salina custody, checking on that first thing in morning. ..God has his ways and he was put in mine to get stopped and I need the law’s help to do so because this is not a victimless crime! He stole so much more than our money and hearts!