fake army unit puts legit reserve groups under scrutiny

This sucks. Remember from earlier this year, that guy who was busted for creating a fake U.S. Army unit as a front for an immigration scam? Unfortunately, the scandal that erupted over Yupeng Deng's bogus military unit put a lot of San Gabriel Valley's legitimate volunteer reserve associations under scrutiny. From the Los Angeles Times: Phony Army unit tarnished reputations of reserve associations.

Liu said the fallout from Deng's arrest, covered breathlessly by the local Chinese languagemedia, sent a chill through his group.

Along with other members, Liu stopped wearing his uniform and felt forced to defend his affiliation to friends. Appearances were canceled. Politicians distanced themselves. Some members quit.

"My wife and son asked me: 'What are you doing participating in illegal activities at your age?'" said Ko Ping Chen, an 86-year-old member of Liu's group.

"They were so worried they asked me: 'Do you want to die in prison?'"

Chen, who served in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, said he was finally able to convince his family that the group he joined - the one that marched in parades and appeared at civic events - was not the same one that authorities were calling "a fake army."

Meanwhile, Yupeng Deng, aka the "supreme commander" of San Gabriel Valley's super fake U.S. Army/Military Special Forces Reserve, was sentenced to three years in state prison for his elaborate immigration scam: 'Supreme commander' who sought to recruit Chinese nationals for phony Army unit pleads guilty.