NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A former Fort Campbell inspector whose job was to investigate misconduct was charged Wednesday with stealing the identities of Army personnel, including a soldier killed in combat, in a scheme to obtain bank loans, federal authorities said.
A federal grand jury indictment alleges that James Robert Jones, 42, of Woodlawn, Tenn., used his position as an assistant inspector general at the Army post along the Kentucky-Tennessee line to obtain personal information of active-duty Army officers, some of whom were deployed to Afghanistan.
The indictment says he used the information — including Social Security numbers and dates of birth — to apply for loans in the officers' names. He successfully obtained fraudulent loans from two financial institutions, it said.
Among those targeted was an enlisted soldier who had been killed in combat in Afghanistan, the indictment said.
When confronted by investigators, Jones tried to conceal his role by falsely accusing a deceased Army officer of planning the scheme, according to the indictment.
"This defendant abused a position of trust and used his position to specifically target those who serve our country, including certain officers who were deployed overseas, when he stole their identities," Acting U.S. Attorney David Rivera said in announcing the indictment.
A phone number listed for Jones in Woodlawn had been disconnected and no other contact information could immediately be found.
Jones was indicted on charges of aggravated identity theft, bank fraud and making a false statement to a financial institution.
