Soldier arrested in El Paso on federal fraud charges
EL PASO, Texas — An Army National Guard soldier who works as a jail guard in New York City was arrested in El Paso on charges that he lied about his military service to get extra government benefits, authorities announced Tuesday.
Shawn Pierre Hobbs, 34, was arrested Monday on wire fraud and aggravated identity theft charges lodged in federal court. The wire fraud charges carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison while aggravated identity theft can result in a mandatory two-year prison term.
It was not immediately clear who would represent the soldier at an initial court appearance in El Paso, where he was arrested.
Hobbs has been in the Connecticut Army National Guard since 2015 and has been employed as a correction officer at Rikers Island in New York since January 2019.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss in Manhattan said Hobbs forged the signatures of colleagues on documents to make it seem he deserved veterans benefits for hundreds of hours of work he did not perform.
