GEORGIA MAN SENTENCED TO JAIL FOR IMPERSONATING FEDERAL OFFICER IN KEY WEST
Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Carol Kisthardt, Special Agent in Charge, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (“NCIS”), announced the sentencing of defendant Larry Gregory Grantham, Jr., 35, of Doraville, Georgia. On Friday, July 23, 2010, U.S. District Court Judge Jose E. Martinez sentenced Grantham to 18 months’ in prison for impersonating a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army.
On May 15, 2009, Grantham was indicted on one count of pretending to be a federal officer, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 912. He pled guilty to the charge on March 11, 2010. According to statements made during the sentencing hearing, Grantham had intervened in a naval disciplinary matter in Key West, Florida by claiming to be a U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel, Special Forces, Medical Officer. Grantham initially succeeded in delaying the proceedings before NCIS determined that Grantham was not a U.S. Lieutenant Colonel or Medical Officer. Items produced at the sentencing hearing included a fabricated medical diploma in Grantham’s name and fraudulent Department of Defense records for Grantham. The United States also produced a doctor’s coat and U.S. Army Special Forces military fatigues, neither of which were genuine, bearing Grantham’s name that were recovered from a search of Grantham’s apartment.
In addition, there was testimony at the hearing that, just weeks before the sentencing in this case, Grantham was spotted in an Atlanta-area hospital falsely claiming to be a surgeon with the hospital. The hospital’s security manager testified that he had received a copy of a fraudulent hospital badge bearing Grantham’s name and photograph, as well as indications that Grantham had been in secured areas of the hospital and may have had records accessible only to hospital staff.
Based on Grantham’s conduct and criminal history, Judge Martinez sentenced Grantham to 18 months’ incarceration, to be followed by a one-year term of supervised release.
Mr. Ferrer commended the investigative efforts of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service at the Naval Air Station in Key West, Florida. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. Gonsoulin.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at http://www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
