Mine Hill man charged with lying about military service

WHARTON – A Mine Hill resident is accused of lying about his service in the Vietnam War to get a new deck built on his house, police said.

Robert Guidi, 66, of Mine Hill, was arrested Saturday following an investigation into his representation of his military service record, police said.

Guidi had been reported to police after someone saw stories about him in which he made false claims about his time in the military.

In an interview published in another New Jersey newspaper, Guidi said that he had been a Green Beret sniper during the Vietnam War and that he had been wounded twice. He also said that he had Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and terminal cancer due to Agent Orange, a chemical defoliant used during the war. He also said he had been awarded the Medal of Valor, a Bronze Star, and Purple Heart.

The same story, which was published two years ago, said that Guidi’s deck had been destroyed during superstorm Sandy and that a contractor had pointed him towards the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA), which sponsors a Deck For a Soldier program.

UPDATED STORY: Mine Hill man who "faked" Army record has criminal past

The NADRA supplied all the materials and labor at no cost to Guidi and even supplied the money for the building permit, the story said. The estimated cost of the job was $30,000.

The individual, whose name was not released by police, said that Guidi also made claims of being a prisoner of war in Vietnam and of having held the rank of sergeant or captain in the Army and that those claims were not accurate, police said.

The police investigation showed that Guidi was never a POW and that he was discharged as a private first class, police said.

Guidi was charged with theft by deception and violation of the New Jersey Stolen Valor Act. He was unable to post the $25,000 bail and was taken to the Morris County Correctional Facility.

Michael Beaudry, executive director off the North American Deck and Railing Association, said he needed to learn more about what had happened before he could comment on behalf of his organization.

“I have to contact local authorities and figure out what this fella did,” Beaudry said. “I hope it doesn’t have a negative effect on people. Programs like this are very important to help out soldiers. When we can do something for our heroes out there, we should do it.”