Houston Man Charged with Impersonating U.S. Army General and Wearing Unauthorized Military Combat Awards

HOUSTON—Michael P. McManus has been arrested and charged with five criminal misdemeanor counts arising from his alleged impersonation of a U.S. Army General by wearing an unauthorized U.S. Army General’s uniform along with unlawfully possessing and wearing numerous unauthorized military combat awards and other unearned military insignia from both the United States and England.

McManus, 44, of Houston, was arrested late Friday, Feb. 5, 2010. A five-count federal criminal complaint was filed earlier today and McManus is expected to make his initial appearance before a United States Magistrate Judge on Monday.

According to allegations in the criminal complaint, McManus served in the U.S. Army between 1984 and 1987, but never achieved a rank higher than Private First Class nor earned the military combat awards or insignia he is accused of having possessed and worn. However, on Dec. 12, 2009, McManus attended and was photographed at a public function celebration for the newly elected Houston Mayor at the George R. Brown Convention Center allegedly wearing a U.S. Army General’s uniform and many unauthorized and unearned military combat and bravery awards.

Some of the U.S. military awards and decorations McManus allegedly wore on the uniform, which were both unearned and without authorization according to the criminal complaint, included the Distinguished Service Cross combat award for bravery—the U.S. Army’s military award for bravery ranking just below the Congressional Medal of Honor—the Silver Star combat award for bravery, the Bronze Star combat award for bravery, the U.S. Air Medal award, the U.S. Flying Cross award, and a Purple Heart. Unauthorized insignia allegedly worn by McManus included the U.S. Army insignia: Combat Infantry Badge, Master Jump Wings, Helicopter Pilot Wings, Air Assault Wings, and the Pathfinder Badge. The complaint also alleges McManus wore and possessed two British military awards that the he neither won nor earned and was not authorized to wear—the British Special Air Services badge and the British Commander of the British Empire.

McManus is accused of five separate violations of federal law (1) unlawfully wearing an unauthorized military uniform; (2) unlawfully wearing and possessing certain military badges and insignia on the unauthorized uniform; (3) unlawfully wearing and possessing certain military awards, badges and insignia of another nation (England); (4) unlawfully wearing certain military awards and decorations on an unauthorized uniform and (5) unlawfully wearing and possessing certain specified military awards for bravery on his unauthorized uniform.

All of the charges are misdemeanor violations of federal law. Counts 1 – 4 carry a maximum possible punishment of six months in federal prison and fines up to $5,000 each. Count 5, wearing and possessing certain specified military awards for bravery, carries a maximum punishment of one year imprisonment and a $100,000 fine.

This investigation leading to the charges was conducted by the Houston Office of the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Mike Schultz of the Major Offenders Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.