“Mountain View Man Indicted for Fraudulently Claiming Military Service”
Omar Naziry, a Mountain View resident, was indicted on Wednesday for mail fraud after allegedly falsely claiming military service to obtain pay benefits, according to the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The indictment states that Naziry’s former employer had a policy initiated post-9/11 to provide differential pay to employees who took military leave. In August 2016, Naziry, 40, allegedly requested this differential pay, asserting he was deployed with the U.S. military for “Operation Inherent Resolve,” a military operation aimed at combating ISIS, which began in October 2014.
The DOJ reports that Naziry submitted fraudulent military orders and a forged military leave and earnings statement to support his claim. He reportedly continued this deception for five years, repeatedly stating that his deployment had been extended to receive further payments.
In December 2021, Naziry’s former employer denied his requests for additional pay, citing that he had reached the five-year limit for differential pay. In response, Naziry allegedly sent a letter to his former employer, purportedly from a “friend” who claimed to be an “army officer” stationed in Hawaii, urging them to reverse their decision to avoid negative publicity.
If convicted on all mail fraud charges, Naziry faces a potential maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Additionally, he is facing a separate indictment from 2024 for allegedly wrongfully obtaining approximately $35,093 in housing assistance payments.
