Global Courant 2023-05-02 07:00:17
A man in Richland Center, Wisconsin, on probation for armed robbery, has been charged with two counts of stolen courage after he allegedly posed as a Marine and told his girlfriend he had been deployed five times .
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said Jakobie Timblin, also known as Jacob Elliot, was charged last month with making false statements about military service with intent to commit a crime and theft through false statements.
Jakobie Timblin booking photo (Wisconsin State Corrections)
An investigation into Timblin revealed that he began communicating with a woman in 2015, according to a sheriff’s release.
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In 2016, a woman posing as Timblin’s mother asked the victim to write her son abroad while he was serving as a member of the Marines. Over the next few years, the woman wrote letters to Timblin, and in 2019, the two met in person and began dating.
That same year, the sheriff’s office said, the victim was asked for a loan by someone claiming to be Timblin’s captain, as a donation for Timblin’s heroic work overseas. The money, the “captain” claimed, would be reimbursed by the Defense Department.
The roof of a police patrol car at night, with the blue and red lights flashing. (iStock)
Timblin’s girlfriend then wrote a check for $5,000.
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While the two dated, Timblin told the woman he had been deployed five times — once to Iraq and four times to Afghanistan.
In one case, they went together to the victim’s family cabin, where he was dressed in his uniform with several medals, including a purple heart, attached to it.
Timblin told his girlfriend’s stepmother he needed money to help with estate planning after recently learning of his mother’s death, and she wrote him a $6,500 check after he admitted to being upset about bill collectors using military personnel like he bothered.
The stepmother researched Timblin’s mother’s obituary and discovered that she had a son, Jacob Elliot. After doing some more digging, she discovered that Elliot was on probation for armed robbery in 2014.
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The sheriff’s office said the stepmother verified Jacob Elliot’s image through the Department of Corrections, and it was Timblin.
The victim and her stepmother reported the alleged fraud to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, and through an investigation with the Marines, they learned that Timblin never served in the military.
The sheriff’s office added that Elliot changed his name to Timblin after meeting the victim and purchasing medals and a uniform online.
When Timblin met the victim, and for several years afterward, he was incarcerated in the Wisconsin state prison system until his release in late 2018.
“It is morally deplorable to be a military impostor and it is particularly reprehensible to use society’s respect and admiration for the brave men and women who serve this great country for their own gain,” said Sheriff Martin Schulteis. “This case went even further when Timblin claimed to be a Purple Heart recipient, which trampled on the honor of those who were injured or worst, gave their lives for their country.”
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Timblin is scheduled for a plea/conviction hearing May 25 in Washington County Circuit Court.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
