A Palm Springs man who pleaded guilty to impersonating a U.S. Marine and wearing medals for bravery that he never earned will be sentenced Monday in federal court in Riverside.
Steven Douglas Burton, who is expected to receive probation, violated a federal statute that prohibits the unauthorized display of military medals.
39 year old Burton, pleaded guilty to the federal misdemeanor charge on December 14, as part of a plea deal reached with the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The defendant told U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips at the time that he was seeing a doctor and receiving treatment, though he did not specify for what. He also said he was taking antidepressants.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Burton showed up for his 20- year class reunion at Alhambra High School in Martinez, Calif., in October 2008 wearing a Marine Corps dress uniform studded with medals, including the Navy Cross, the second-highest combat commendation behind the Medal of Honor.
Burton wore a lieutenant colonel's insignia and told people he spent a career in the service, according to an FBI investigation.
One of the defendant's classmates, a U.S. Navy commander, was suspicious and snapped a photograph of Burton, which shows him wearing 14 medals, including a Navy Cross, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Legion of Merit badge and Combat Action ribbon.
The commander made an official inquiry regarding Burton's military service and discovered he was not -- and had never been -- a U.S. Marine or a member of any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, according to the FBI.
In the ensuing investigation, federal agents learned the defendant had an Internet blog where he ``bragged'' about overseas tours of duty that involved combat in Afghanistan and Iraq.
The first documented case of him wearing a military uniform with decorations was during a Halloween party in Cathedral City two years ago, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
A few months later, Burton posted a photo of himself online in which he is standing on a beach on Coronado Island wearing a USMC uniform, complete with medals and stripes indicating the rank of gunnery sergeant.
"The defendant chose the rank of gunnery sergeant because it is a well-respected rank within the USMC,'' court documents state.
The documents indicate Burton purchased most of the military decorations on eBay and at military surplus stores, including one outside the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms.
According to the indictment, Burton chose to pose as a Marine because he "preferred the USMC uniforms to the others'' and bought a book "that explained what the awards meant and how to affix them to the uniform.''
Burton had been employed as an information technology specialist at a Palm Springs bank, but was fired in January, according to his attorney, Michael DeFrank.
"No thanks to the media coverage, he lost his job,'' the attorney told City News Service.
Burton remains free on a $10,000 bond.
