California Teen Accused of Posing as Soldier for Perks
CROSSVILLE, Tenn. — A California teen was arrested and charged with criminal impersonation in eastern Tennessee for allegedly fooling businesses into thinking he was a soldier to get discounts and other perks.
The Cumberland County Sheriff's Department arrested 19-year-old Damian Paul Castillo of Anderson, Calif., last week on 25 counts of fraudulent use of a credit card, six counts of violation of the bad check law and one count of criminal impersonation.
Sheriff's Investigator Ben Waller says Castillo is accused of passing himself off as a member of the U.S. Air Force by wearing a military uniform. He's also accused of bilking nine businesses out of more than $14,102. Investigators say the Air Force confirmed he had never enlisted.
Some of the alleged scams included getting plane tickets upgraded, shopping tax-free or getting a military discount. Investigators say he's also accused of using a credit card that was not valid and writing bad checks from another fraudulent account.
