Police: Man Led Double Life, Posed as Army Ranger

A Greenwich man is accused of leading a double life, duping his family, fiancé and others into thinking he was a wounded U.S Army veteran who served four tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Greenwich Police said the man, Jesus M. Garcia, 20, never served a day in the armed forces, despite his military-like tattoos and uniform. Garcia is accused of concocting stories of being a U.S. Army Ranger to gain the sympathy of people who gave him money, bought dinner and gave him a job. Police estimate Garcia received about $1,000 from sympathetic, civic-minded residents and veterans.

“His stories didn’t add up … there a lot of ex-military here [in the Greenwich Police Department] …  he never served, not a minute,” said police spokesman Lt. Kraig Gray. “When people hear a wounded vet, people are willing to help.”

According to Gray and the two detectives who investigated the case, Anthony Fiscella and David Wilson, a scar on Garcia’s face lent credence to the stories he apparently told his victims and his family.

Garcia lived at the town-owned Armstrong Court housing complex in the Chickahominy section of Greenwich with his unsuspecting fiancé. Police said that for the past year, Garcia would take extended leaves from that home, explaining he was returning for another tour of overseas. When not in Greenwich, Garcia spent time living with his mother in Hopewell Junction, NY, using the same excuse to explain his absences from her residence, police said.

The story began to unravel just before Memorial Day, police said.

Gray said that he spoke with Garcia and set up an appointment thinking that as a veteran himself, he might be able to help. “I thought, four tours of duty, and PTSD (post traumatic stress syndrome), is he off because of mental health issues related to his service. He broke the appointment saying his was having surgery to have shrapnel removed,” Gray said.

On May 27, Garcia met with Police Capt. James Heavey, who also is a U.S. Army veteran, in anticipation of Garcia speaking at a Memorial Day ceremony. During conversations with Heavey said it became apparent that Garcia was a fraud and provided an investigating officer with a false name and date of birth. “There were inconsistencies in his portrayal of his military record and his uniform was not to standards,” Heavey said. He also could not provide a military ID card despite being dressed in uniform, police said.

According to Gray, “When he lied, he had no military ID, gave the wrong date of birth and refused to give other information … it [his story] all fell apart.”

Garcia was arrested that day for interfering with an officer.

Following that arrest, Fiscella and Wilson began investigating Garcia and discovered “the whole family and his girlfriend believed he was in the Army and that he was wounded in combat in Iraq,” Fiscella said.

According to police, detectives “found two financial victims of his fraud and other instances that he posed publicly in uniform purporting to be a soldier.”

Police gathered enough evidence to obtain an arrest warrant and Garcia surrendered to officers on June 16. He was charged with false representation of an armed forces uniform; fraudulent use of a military insignia; 5th-degree larceny and two counts of 6th-degree larceny. He was released after posting a $2,500 bond and scheduled to appear June 24.

At some point Garcia was able to land an unspecified job at Lexus of Greenwich, police said. A message seeking comment was left with the dealership management on Monday afternoon.

Wilson said it is possible that there are more victims who may have helped Garcia. They may contact detectives at (203) 622-8054 or call the crime tips line at 800-372-1176 or e-mail: mailto:tips@greenwichct.org.