Men Who Lied About Military Service Must Handwrite Names Of Dead Soldiers

Two Montana men who lied about their military service in an effort to get shorter prison sentences were ordered to handwrite the names of the Americans who lost their lives serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of their punishment.

28-year-old Ryan Morris and 33-year-old Troy Nelson both said they were veterans, hoping their cases would be moved to Veterans Treatment Court. Morris claimed he served seven tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and that he had PTSD after an improvised explosive device injured him. Nelson managed to get his original case moved to the Veterans court before officials realized he never served in the military.

Morris, who was convicted of burglary, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, while Nelson received five years in prison for a conviction of criminal possession of dangerous drugs.

In addition to their prison terms, Judge Greg Pinski gave them a few extra assignments that they must complete before they are eligible for parole. Judge Pinski wanted them to understand the gravity of their lies and ordered them to handwrite the names of the 6,756 Americans killed in Iraq and Afghanistan and write out the obituaries of the 40 Montanans who were killed during their tours of duty. The two men will also have to write apology letters to numerous veteran groups and admit they lied about their service to get benefits reserved for veterans.

Photo: Cascade County Sheriff's Office