What you should know
- An Army National Guard soldier working as a jail guard in New York City has been arrested in Texas on charges of lying about his military service for additional government benefits, authorities announced Wednesday.
- Shawn Pierre Hobbs, 34, was arrested Monday on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges filed in federal court in Manhattan.
- Wire fraud charges carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, while aggravated identity theft can result in a mandatory two-year prison term.
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NEW YORK – An Army National Guard soldier working as a jail guard in New York City has been arrested in Texas on charges of lying about his military service for additional government benefits, authorities announced Wednesday.
Shawn Pierre Hobbs, 34, was arrested Monday on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges filed in federal court in Manhattan.
Wire fraud charges carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison, while aggravated identity theft can result in a mandatory two-year prison term.
It was not immediately clear who will represent the soldier in an initial court appearance in El Paso, Texas, where he was arrested.
Hobbs has been in the Connecticut Army National Guard since 2015 and has served as a correctional officer on Rikers Island since January 2019.
In a statement, US Attorney Audrey Strauss in Manhattan said Hobbs forged his colleagues’ signatures on documents to make it appear he deserved veteran’s benefits for hundreds of hours of work he missed.
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