By: Geoff Mulvihill
Associated Press

_____________________________________

Camden NJ ---- The former Mayor of
Atlantic City pleaded guilty Thursday
to lying to enhance his veterans
benefits, a crime that played a role
in his bizarre three-week disappearance
earlier this fall.

Making his first public appearance
since leaving office October 10,
Robert Levy admitted to falsely
claiming to have been awarded two
military medals and embellishing his
military record in order to
receive more money in disability
benefits from the U.S. Department
of Veterans Affairs.

Levy admitted fabricating stories
that as a soldier in Vietnam, he
had been let in the jungle for weeks
along with South Vietnamese troops
he was working with to fend for
himself. He also claimed to have
made a number of parachute jumps
when he did not.

Though those claims were untrue,
Levy was a decorated Army veteran
who was given eight medals including
two bronze stars, said his lawyer
Edwin Jacobs.

As a federal judge read the
accusations, Levy said "Yes,
your Honor" but little else.

The increased benefits over
four years came to a total
of $24,683. It was unclear
whether he would have to
repay that.

Levy is scheduled to be sentenced
in February. As part of his plea
deal, he agreed not to appeal his
sentence as long as it's not more
than six months.

The Democrat was elected in 2005
to preside over a city in which
the political corruption is almost
as famous as the casinos. Four of
the last nine Mayors have been
charged with taking bribes; three
men who were on the city council
last year are now in prison in
another bribery case.

Levy disappeared from city life
in late September before resurfacing
to resign. He cited ill health
and the federal investigation into
his war record as his reasons for
leaving.

The Press of Atlantic City reported
last fall the the Vietnam Veterans
claims that he was a member of
the Green Berets were untrue. He
apologized, but federal authorities
have been looking into whether
Levy made that claim to increase
his veteran benefit payments.

During the absence from city hall,
Levy spent time in a substance
abuse and mental health treatment
center in northern New Jersey. Jacobs
described the mayor's time there as
" a detox situation ".

______________________________________

NOTE: Be sure to see my companion
chat blog on this Forum page titled
"The Death of Bravado Worship". Let
this be a warning to all Veterans
now that we live in a different
world and to stop handing out
blind salutes when you don't really
know very much about the person claiming
to be a Veteran. Fraud cases are
rampant now.