Stolen Valor

The fraudulent claim by a person to have received a military decoration they did not earn, made with the intent to obtain money, property or another tangible benefit; the term also describes military impostors more broadly, who falsely claim to have served or exaggerate the extent of their service. In the United States, the Stolen Valor Act of 2013 makes such fraudulent claims a federal crime covering specific protected decorations, including the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Silver Star, Purple Heart and Combat Action Ribbon, with violations punishable by a fine, up to one year of imprisonment, or both. The 2013 law replaced an earlier Stolen Valor Act of 2005 that the Supreme Court struck down in United States v. Alvarez in 2012, ruling that prosecuting a false claim of military honors without any accompanying intent to gain a benefit violated free speech protections; the 2013 revision narrowed the offense to cover only fraud committed for tangible gain.