Jessica Fender of the Denver Post wrote this yesterday about a protester she recognized in the crowd Saturday:
http://blogs.denverpost.com/cr…
That protestor…appeared to be serial impersonator Rick Strandlof. When approached for his name by a Denver Post photographer, the scruffy man walked a way, collapsing his tent and disappearing into the crowd.
When Strandlof went as Rick Duncan in 2008 and 2009, he told politicians, reporters and anti-war activists he was an Iraqi War veteran with post traumatic stress disorder. None of that was true.
A few months ago, he was outed for pretending to be a lawyer and infiltrating Denver’s Jewish community as Rick Gold.
Now he’s out protesting under his own name…
In 2009, The Post reported on Strandlof’s military impersonation scam:
http://www.denverpost.com/comm…
But a trail of deceit has stamped Richard Glen Strandlof with another indelible mark: fake military hero who misled veterans, politicians and voters. Many had bought into the story of Rick Duncan, the wounded soldier rallying opposition to the Iraq war and support for struggling vets…
He backed mostly Democratic candidates sympathetic to his anti-war views in the run-up to the 2008 election. Beyond politics, he worked on behalf of homeless veterans in Colorado Springs, an effort that earned him widespread respect.
But revelation of his charade last month ignited the military blogosphere – some of the more charitable critics have suggested his deployment to a combat zone – and prompted speculation on just how he could pull it off.
The deception was elaborate, cunningly conceived and boldly executed – from his command of military vernacular down to details like the bumper sticker on his car.
Strandlof is on Twitter as reported, Tweeting on location about Occupy Denver (you can see his tweets RIGHT NOW on this page – right). He is interacting with many other Occupy Denver protesters. All under his own name.
Is all forgiven for his deceit of Democrats and web of lies? Do the Occupy Denver protesters on this blog support Strandlof’s presence there? Has anyone asked him to leave??
I have trouble identifying Occupy Denver as something other than the fringe lawless mob it appears to be, when serial fraud Rick Strandlof is the face of your movement. Please help me understand.
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