A Hood County man was arrested Saturday after he was accused of falsely impersonating a wounded Navy SEAL officer.winn
Carlos Felipe Luna-Gonzalez, 29, of Granbury, is facing charges of theft, tampering with a government document and presenting a fraudulent or fictitious military record.
Luna-Gonzalez was arrested in Weatherford, Parker County, during a sting operation carried out by troopers with the Texas Department of Public Safety, as well as deputies with the Parker and Hood counties' sheriff's departments.
"This fool is walking around trying to reap the benefits off of something that he had absolutely nothing to do with, [something] he could never qualify for. I think I'll just leave that right there," said a visibly upset Parker County Sheriff Larry Fowler when speaking about the arrest Monday.
Luna-Gonzalez had reportedly befriended several people in the Hood County law enforcement community in recent months and had told them he was an active-duty Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade, as well as a member of the elite SEALs team who was awarded a Purple Heart after being shot during a SEAL operation in Africa, according to the affidavit for his arrest.
Investigators confirmed through the Naval Criminal Investigative Service that Luna-Gonzalez was none of those things and had instead been given an early general discharge from the Navy as an enlisted seaman apprentice, according to the affidavit.
The ruse to lure Luna-Gonzalez to Weatherford was that he was to be honored by the owner of Lone Star Guns, Gallery & Gear, who has a history of involvement with veterans and the Wounded Warriors Project, in particular, and would be presented with a rifle as recognition for his service to the country.
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When Luna-Gonzalez arrived at the store Saturday, he was dressed in a blue Navy dress uniform, complete with an officer insignia, the SEAL Trident and jump wings pinned to the chest, in addition to a Purple Heart affixed to the uniform, according to investigators.
Once inside, Luna-Gonzalez was presented with a LWRC Assault Rifle, valued at $2,300, as appreciation for his service, the affidavit said.
Upon acceptance of the rifle, Luna-Gonzalez posed for a picture before he filled out the ATF paperwork required to accept a firearm and was then promptly arrested, police said.
In Luna-Gonzalez's wallet investigators found a Navy identification card, on which the rank and expiration dates had been altered to reflect him as a Lieutenant Junior Grade and still being in the service, according to the affidavit.
"To dress yourself up in a lieutenant JG's uniform with a Trident, jump wings, Purple Heart and all that, you're way beyond the pale. Way beyond," Sheriff Fowler said.
"And this idiot was fool enough to come to Parker County, Texas, and try to pull this nonsense? He got a ride to the jail. And I got his uniform," Fowler said.
Police stripped Luna-Gonzalez of the uniform inside the store Saturday and made him change into the uniform provided to inmates of the Parker County jail, according to Fowler.
"He definitely had an appearance of disappointment on his face at the time he was confronted," said Joey Blanton, of Lone Star Guns, about Luna-Gonzalez's reaction to his arrest.
Blanton said he helped to participate in the sting for two simple reasons.
"Personally, myself, I am a war veteran and a retired law enforcement officer so I was glad to help, do my part," Blanton said.
Luna-Gonzalez posted bond and was released over the weekend.
A person who answered the door at his home told NBC 5 that Luna-Gonzalez had been out of touch since the arrest.
