YOUR AD HERE »

Colorado man accused of posing vet for 24 years

Associated Press
Vail, CO Colorado

NEW CASTLE, Colo. ” A man has been accused of stealing an Army veteran’s identity and using it for 24 years, getting married, obtaining free medical treatment and even serving as president of a VFW post.

Mark Mulcahy, 46, of New Castle faces felony charges of identity theft, forgery and criminal impersonation. He was in the Garfield County jail Friday in lieu of $45,000 bail. It wasn’t known whether he had an attorney.

An arrest warrant affidavit alleges Mulcahy obtained a military retirement document in 1984 in the name of David Keith Anderson of Modesto, Calif.



Anderson, also known as David Ronayne, died in a bicycle accident in 2006, the affidavit says.

It wasn’t clear if Mulcahy had ever served in the military.

Support Local Journalism



The affidavit says Mulcahy lived under Anderson’s name in New Castle, 130 miles west of Denver, and used his identity to get an operation at no charge at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Denver. The affidavit says the upper gastric hernia surgery cost $6,296.

In 2004, Mulcahy joined a VFW post in nearby Glenwood Springs, saying he had retired after 20 years in the Marine Corps, the affidavit says.

He later became post president but members complained about missed meetings and other problems, and when state VFW officials tried to contact him, they were told he had moved away, the affidavit says.

The affidavit says Mulcahy married under Anderson’s name and hid his true identity from his wife.

The VA’s inspector general began investigating Mulcahy after a phone call from Mulcahy’s wife, authorities said, but it wasn’t clear how she learned of the alleged deception and why she called authorities.

The Garfield County Sheriff’s Department said Mulcahy and been questioned by authorities or arrested at least four times on various charges between 2005 and 2006 and each time used Anderson’s name.

“””

Information from: Post Independent, http://www.postindependent.com/


Support Local Journalism