Portland, Ore.— An Oregon military impostor already serving time behind bars is facing new charges.
Last week, a Multnomah County grand jury indicted Michele Bocci on three counts of theft by deception.
The felony charges involve a Portland woman Bocci befriended last summer. The woman claims Bocci defrauded her out of more than $30,000.
Read original KGW investigation: Oregon man claims to be veteran with sad story, but investigation reveals the truth
Bocci, 35, is currently being held at the Washington County jail in Hillsboro. In September, a judge sentenced him to six months detention after he pleaded guilty to criminal impersonation and theft.
The original misdemeanor charges stem from an Aug. 2, 2016 incident. Bocci, who claimed to be a decorated U.S. Marine, said his bomb-sniffing dog had been hit and killed by a car.
After hearing Bocci’s heartbreaking story, a local funeral home offered to help. Springer and Sons funeral home in Aloha provided free cremation for the dog, along with a specially designed urn which included a military emblem and custom engraving. An invoice shows the value as $310.
Government records show that Bocci never served in the U.S. Marine Corps or any other branch of the U.S. military.
In January 2017, a KGW investigation found community groups, churches, police agencies and various individuals in Oregon had been duped by Bocci. They provided money, food or other types of assistance after hearing his tragic story. Bocci told people he was combat veteran, left to care for his two young children after his wife died. The story was not true.
Jail records indicate Bocci is due to be released from the Washington County jail on Feb. 3, 2018. So far, no court date has been set related to the new charges in Multnomah County.
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