Marriage and money:
Haberman earns extra cash

Rhoad believes Haberman married her solely to collect extra money from the military—so she fought for her share. After all, she estimates that the relationship cost her about $40,000. Rhoad was liable for medical bills from the overdose incident, and, at Haberman's insistence, she had packed up and moved to San Diego, California.

Military personnel on permanent duty are eligible for basic allowance for housing (BAH) payments, based on where they live and whether they have dependents. Rhoad says Haberman claimed the BAH rate for a married man. He was also eligible for $250 per month for being separated from his wife.

Haberman told the Army that his permanent address was Key West, Florida. The Florida Keys offer among the highest BAH rates in the country—although according to Rhoad, he hasn't lived there for five years. Using BAH figures available on the Internet, Rhoad estimates that Haberman was collecting $1,701 per month in BAH payments, plus the $250 per month separation pay. He was supposed to send his wife $519.30 per month.

Haberman shipped out to Iraq in March, 2004, although he was not in the Special Forces. He served there less than a month. By April, he was back in the United States, relocated to the Womack Medical Center at Fort Bragg on "medical hold." Haberman claimed combat wounds, saying he was injured when his convoy was attacked.

Rhoad, however, doubted his story. She also did not receive her BAH payments for April, May, June and July of 2004. She complained continuously to the military about the missing payments, and she wanted Haberman prosecuted for his alleged assault.

Haberman, in the meantime, filed for an annulment in July, 2004. In his complaint filed with the Nevada court, Haberman claimed he was fraudulently coerced into the marriage and that Rhoad was trying to defraud the military. That month he also, Rhoad says, bought a 2003 Ford Mustang convertible, while she and her daughter didn't have enough to eat.

Newspaper coverage

Not getting the results she wanted from authorities, Rhoad went to the media. She contacted Glenna Whitley, co-author of Stolen Valor, a book about people who pretend to be military veterans. Whitley wrote an investigative report that was published on Sept. 1, 2005, by the Dallas Observer. The headline:

G.I. Jerk
Phil Haberman claims he fought with Special Forces in Iraq, but he's about as real as Rambo

The story debunked Haberman's Special Forces claims. It described his efforts to impress students back at his high school with his military exploits. It cast doubt on his claims of war injuries, even though Haberman presented an affidavit from Staff Sergeant R.S. Smith as documentation of his injury during the attack on the convoy. The story also quotes members of Haberman's family, who learned long ago not to believe him.

G.I. Jerk got a reaction. Major Scott Boyle, who served with Haberman's unit in Iraq, wrote a letter to the Dallas Observer, thanking the newspaper for exposing Haberman as a fraud and a liar.

Rhoad received e-mails from other men who served with Haberman in Iraq. One said Haberman did not sustain any type of injury. Another investigated what happened on that convoy—absolutely nothing.

Furthermore, Rhoad started hearing from other women who had been scammed by Haberman. One told her that he had been arrested several times. Rhoad found that Haberman had an extensive record, with incidents in Nevada, North Carolina, Texas, Florida, California, Colorado, New York, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Minnesota and Montana.

The POW Network, an organization that exposes military frauds, listed Haberman on its website. The listing states "Haberman has allegedly forged governmental medical documents in an attempt to gain veterans benefits and a Purple Heart."

Haberman didn't like the negative publicity. He wrote to the Dallas Observer, complaining that he had been slandered. The newspaper stood by its story. He also threatened the POW Network with legal action.

Other than honorable discharge

The Army did assign an investigator, Captain Eric Williams, to the Haberman case. According to Rhoad, the investigator determined that Haberman had received $17,000 in excess BAH payments. The Army, however, declined to prosecute what it considered to be "petty theft." All Haberman got was an "other than honorable" discharge on October 26, 2005.

Haberman was supposed to be in court on October 27 in a case filed by a woman who claims he defrauded her of $5,000. But he faxed the court in Gwinnett County, Georgia, a copy of Army orders dated October 12, 2005, indicating that he would be on active duty until April 23, 2006 and would be unable to appear in court.

The orders were forged. Captain Williams informed the court that Haberman would be available on or after November 15 to participate in the action.

The biggest fights

Rhoad was due to face Haberman in a Nevada courtroom for the annulment hearing on November 18, 2005. Financially devastated, she could not afford an attorney, so she prepared to represent herself pro se. Although Rhoad worked as a legal secretary for 15 years, preparing her own case was "testing my legal skills to the max," she says.

Rhode answered Haberman's complaint for annulment with a complaint of her own. In the 23-page trial brief she prepared for the court, she laid out the story of Haberman's deceptions and provided allegations of his prior frauds.

Pursuing Haberman has been time-consuming and energy-draining. But Rhoad wants to set a good example for her daughter: "don't back down, don't run away, make a noise."

Rhoad wants her daughter to know that "mama takes on the biggest fights—and not to give up."