By Jill Harmacinski
Staff Writer
May 21, 2008 05:12 pm BOSTON — An ex-Lawrence School Committee man will receive two years probation and must perform 100 hours of community service for impersonating a Marine veteran and lying about receiving a Purple Heart. James Stokes received his punishment today in U.S. District court. Earlier this year, Stokes, citing his "conscience," pleaded guilty to federal charges. He faced up to a year behind bars, fines of $100,000 and year of supervised release on each charge, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Kelly said. "The court is not inclined to physically incarcerate you. You will be mentally incarcerated for your embarassing actions for the rest of your days," said federal Judge Joyce Alexander. Stokes was arrested by FBI agents on Jan. 9 at Top Donut in South Lawrence. He resigned from his newly elected seat on the School Committee two days later. He lied about his military service for decades and admitted to forging a discharge record given to him by a deceased brother. He also appeared in uniform at public events, most recently at vigils for Army Spec. Alex Jimenez, a Lawrence man missing in Iraq for more than a year. In a victim-impact statement sent to the FBI, a Methuen man spoke in disgust of Stokes' actions. Jim Wareing, founding director of New England Caring For Our Military Inc., said Stokes' sentence should be a message to others who may be misrepresenting themselves as veterans. "Mr. Stokes has insulted and dishonored Veterans and also our own missing in action-captured soldier Sgt. Alex Jimenez who is still missing in Iraq. To have Mr. Stokes deliberately misrepresent himself has added more frustration and insult to all concerned who were praying for Sgt. Alex Jimenez return and Mr. Stokes's punishment should reflect the seriousness of the crime as men and women are placing their life in the line of fire," Wareing wrote. Evidence against Stokes included the forged discharge document he presented to a Lawrence veterans official in November 2006. Last October, during a rally for Jimenez, Stokes told another veteran he was a Purple Heart recipient. But when questioned by an FBI agent, Stokes admitted "he was never a Marine." The Purple Heart is awarded to military personnel wounded or killed in action by or against an enemy. In 2006, President Bush signed the federal Stolen Valor Act, which made it a crime to falsely claim ownership of a Purple Heart. Stokes' military background was questioned for more than a decade in Lawrence. He made four failed attempts at a seat on the Lawrence City Council. Inquires surfaced again when he defeated Gregory Morris, the School Committee incumbent, last fall. Stokes identified himself as a veteran on the ballot.
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