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A suburban Milwaukee man is being accused of lying about serving in the military.
Prosecutors have charged 47-year-old John Hemphill of West Allis with three misdemeanor counts of breaking the state’s recently enacted “Stolen Valor” law, which was written to go after those who falsely claim to have served in the military or earned honors they did not actually receive.
Hemphill, who wears a prosthetic leg, has long claimed to have lost his limb while serving in the Marine Corps in Afghanistan. He allegedly cited that record when claiming discounts at businesses and when purchasing an American Legion insurance policy. However, he has no record of any military service. He was turned in by his ex-wife after she found out he had made up his military career.
State Representative David Steffen, who sponsored by the bill that created the law, described Hemphill as the “poster child” for the type of behavior they were hoping to address.