Talk about a punishment that fits the crime: a pair of Montana men who lied about serving in military to get their cases to a state veterans court ended up getting an extra lesson in respect for the U.S. armed forces.
A Flathead District Court, Montana jury on Tuesday awarded $1.7 million in damages to Donald W. Kaltschmidt Jr. after finding Laron D. Shannon of Kalispell liable for fraud and negligent misrepresentation in a case involving an oilfield services company in which Kaltschmidt was a silent investor.
Kaltschmidt, who served in the United States Marine Corps, sued Shannon, Elizabeth Shannon and Oilfield Warriors, LLC, in 2014, alleging Laron Shannon had misrepresented himself as an active U.S. Marine when he "never actively served in the United States Marine Corps or in any other military service branch," according to the lawsuit complaint.
Nearly 13 years after 9/11, the United States is poised to have its first senator who raised his or her hand to fight in the resulting military conflicts.
