W.Va. man who posed as Army general to land 6-figure job in Ohio gets 2-plus years in prison

9/26/2011

CLEVELAND — A West Virginia man who posed as an Army general to try to land a six-figure construction management job has been sentenced in Ohio to more than two years in prison.

A federal judge in Cleveland sentenced 57-year-old Randall Keyser of Barboursville on Monday on his guilty plea to wire and mail fraud.

The judge says Keyser must get mental-health treatment after his release. His attorney said in a sentencing memo that Keyser is on medication for chronic depression.

Prosecutors say Keyser applied for a job pretending to be a major general with references including the Army chief of staff. The Akron-based company became suspicious and contacted the FBI.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press show Keyser was hired under false pretenses in at least four states.