Marine Corps Sgt. will plead guilty to faking war injuries

October 19, 7:09 PMLA Military Headlines ExaminerMark Nero

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Sgt. David Budwah (File photo: Yvette May/AP)

A Marine Corps sergeant accused of faking post-traumatic stress disorder and fraudulently getting freebies meant only for wounded servicemen, will plead guilty to the charges, according to a Corps spokeswoman.

Sgt. David W. Budwah, 34, is expected to plead guilty on Wed., Oct. 21 to some or all of eight charges against him, including making false official statements, malingering, misconduct and larceny.

The government claims Budwah faked post-traumatic stress disorder in July 2008 in hopes of getting out of the Corps early, and that he was sent to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, where he began bluffing his way into wounded-warrior events.

He's accused of faking his way into 33 events for wounded servicemembers that were sponsored by various civilian groups. The events include six rock concerts, two Washington Nationals baseball games, a Washington Redskins football game and a pro wrestling event, and often included special recognition of injured service members in attendance, according to the Marines.

Officials also say Budwah wore eight unearned medals and decorations on his uniform, including bronze-star campaign medals from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Marine prosecutors have not disclosed terms of the plea agreement, but under military law, Budwah would have faced more than 33 years in prison if convicted of all charges.