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A former U.S. Marine admitted to fabricating his story of sustaining a combat related brain injury in order to defraud charities, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Michael Campbell, who never left the U.S. while serving in the Marine Corps from 2000 to 2004, claimed to have sustained a traumatic brain injury after an improvised explosive device detonated during a patrol through Fallujah, Iraq. He said that members of his unit died in the explosion.

He also claimed “that he awoke from his serious injuries months later stateside at Walter Reed Army Hospital,” court documents state.

Campbell said that his brain injury left him with a stutter and had an adverse effect on his short-term memory.

Court documents state that he devised the story in an effort to get funds that would help him towards his dream of playing golf on the PGA Tour.

Campbell used his story to defraud several charities, including Operation Homefront, Counter Valor and Operation Proper Exit. Also, in 2010, Golf Magazine and NPR were deceived by Campbell’s story.

Campbell agreed to plead guilty to one count of mail fraud, and if a judge approves it, he could face up to 20 years in prison. He admitted to swindling his victims out of at least $40,000.

Source: The Dallas Morning News

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