ARIZONA NEWS

Arizona moving company owner who faked military service sentenced to 10.5 years in prison

May 18, 2023, 8:00 AM

Headshot of John Hoyt Fullen, an Prescott, Arizona, moving company owner who was sentenced to priso...

(John Hoyt Fullen - Photo via Yavapai County Attorney's Office)

(John Hoyt Fullen - Photo via Yavapai County Attorney's Office)

PHOENIX – An Arizona moving company owner who based his business on a faked military career is heading to prison, authorities said Wednesday.

John Hoyt Fullen, 42, of Prescott was sentenced to 10.5 years on Monday after a jury previously found him guilty on fraud and forgery charges, the Yavapai County Attorney’s Office announced.

Fullen promoted his business, American Veteran Movers, as being veteran owned and operated, but he never served in the military, prosecutors said. Some of the company’s employees were veterans, but Fullen fully owned and operated it from 2017 to 2020.

“Mr. Fullen, a man with a lengthy felony record, chose to impersonate a veteran to personally profit off the valor of those who served in uniform. There is no place in Yavapai County for this type of conduct,” Yavapai County Attorney Dennis M. McGrane said in a press release.

Fullen told clients he was a Marine Corps veteran, even getting a tattoo of the branch’s insignia, and claimed to have been wounded in Iraq, according to prosecutors. He also used a fake Purple Heart certificate he bought online to get Arizona veteran license plates for his personal vehicles.

“I’d like to thank the jury for their service and hope this verdict and lengthy prison sentence sends a message to anyone who contemplates falsely stealing the valor of our veterans,” McGrane said.

“This crime not only defrauded Mr. Fullen’s victims, who believed their hard-earned dollars were supporting a veteran-owned business, but also defrauded the veterans in our community who run small businesses.”

We want to hear from you.

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here.

Arizona News

FILE - This undated booking photo provided by the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation...

David Veenstra

Arizona Supreme Court grants request to carry out state’s 1st execution since 2022

The Arizona Supreme Court granted a request to carry out the state's first execution since 2022, authorities announced on Tuesday.

37 minutes ago

An Arizona woman pleaded guilty in a fraud scheme that generated millions of dollars for herself an...

David Veenstra

Arizona woman pleads guilty in fraud scheme that benefited North Korea

An Arizona woman pleaded guilty in a fraud scheme that generated millions of dollars for herself and for North Korea. 

1 hour ago

A retired deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was convicted of luring a minor i...

David Veenstra

Retired LA deputy convicted of luring a minor in Arizona

A retired deputy from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department was convicted of luring a minor in Arizona, authorities announced on Tuesday.

3 hours ago

Man shot in head in Tempe...

KTAR.com

Man shot in head in Tempe trying to drive himself to hospital crashes into vehicles

A man who was shot in the head and attempting to drive himself to the hospital crashed into two vehicles on Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

4 hours ago

Mesa Public Schools is planning layoffs....

Kevin Stone

Mesa Public Schools reveals details about how many jobs it plans to cut

Mesa Public Schools, the state’s largest public school district, released new details about its previously announced plan for layoffs.

5 hours ago

Edmund Davis...

Danny Shapiro

Man connected to Alicia Navarro case gets 100-year prison sentence for sexual abuse of children

A Montana man who admitted he was the boyfriend of Alicia Navarro, the Glendale girl who went missing for four years, received a 100-year prison sentence for sexual abuse of children, authorities announced Tuesday.

5 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

...

Bright Wealth Management

How IRAs are a helpful tool in retirement planning

When it comes to retirement planning, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) can be a great tool for income growth.

...

Bright Wealth Management

How to save money on retirement planning following 2024 election

PHOENIX -- With the 2024 election over, economic changes could impact how people plan for retirement as 2025 is on the horizon.

...

Sanderson Ford

Sanderson Ford’s Operation Santa Claus: Spreading holiday cheer through pickleball

Phoenix, AZ – Sanderson Ford, a staple in the Arizona community, is once again gearing up for its annual Operation Santa Claus charity drive.

Arizona moving company owner who faked military service sentenced to 10.5 years in prison