Private investigator sentenced for forging veteran's signature

A private investigator in Fayetteville has been sentenced to three months of house arrest after pleading guilty to forging the signature of a veteran.

Paul Edward Moody Sr., 74, forged the signature on a Military Record Retrieval Authorization form to obtain private and official military records of the serviceman, authorities say. The records are maintained by the National Archives and Records Administration at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, according to a release from U.S. Attorney George E.B. Holding in Raleigh.

Moody also provided the unnamed veteran's Social Security number and branch of service, the release said.

Military records aren't released without a signed form from the veteran, or next of kin if the veteran is dead, Holding said. Moody requested the documents in 2005 for a client seeking information about the particular veteran.

"In this type of identity theft, not only has the identity of another been stolen, the importance of service made by members of our military that have served valiantly has been diminished," Holding said.
Moody pleaded guilty in March to making and using a false writing. He was sentenced Tuesday to 90 days of house arrest followed by three years of supervised release and a fine of $3,000.

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