RENO, Nev. (AP) - A 25-year-old Ohio woman has been sentenced to nearly 20 year in prison in Nevada on fraud charges stemming from an investigation that began when she falsely claimed to be a decorated military veteran.
Washoe County District Attorney Chris Hicks said Friday Kelsie Hoover is the first person prosecuted in the county on a charge of “stolen valor” since the legislature made it a crime in 2013.
She also was convicted of burglary and identity-theft charges in unrelated incidents.
Authorities started investigating in 2015 when Hoover was volunteering under a false name at a local high school where she claimed to be a decorated and disabled combat veteran.
Hicks says she obtained Nevada Purple Heart license plates with falsified military records claiming she had received the Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart, and later bragged about it.
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