Fort Bragg Soldier Arrested and Faces Identity Theft Charges in Court on Monday

How does a soldier in the U.S. Army for over 20 years get away with stealing someone's identity? Though his security clearances are now revoked and he is in jail - how did he get this far along in the Army?

Known to peers at Fort Bragg by Gerald Morrone, his actual identity is William Anthony Morrone, Jr. and his past has finally caught up with him. The soldier is now in jail and is facing charges in other states. 

Marrone was arrested on May 2, 2013. The soldier was recently flown back from Montana for his trial and will be return for his sentencing after Monday's court-martial. Morrone also faces charges in Indiana regarding obtaining a license under his brother's name and other fraudulent charges according to a local source who knows the family.

Acting on a complaint from U.S. Army Military Police Investigations, the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles’ License and Theft Bureau on April 9 arrested a soldier formerly performing the duties of Garrison Operations Sergeant Major of the U.S. Army Garrison, Fort Bragg, and charged him with 21 felonies in connection with vehicle purchases using his brother’s identity according to a NC DOT news release.

DMV License and Theft Bureau inspectors determined that William Anthony Morrone Jr. used his brother’s name and identity documents to trade and purchase vehicles in 2009 and in 2012 at dealerships in Catawba and Cumberland counties. Morrone, believed to be about 53 years old, is a resident of Fayetteville. He also faces pending court martial charges at Fort Bragg.

According to reports, Morrone traded a 1997 Jeep Grand Cherokee for the purchase of a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee on January 12, 2009 at Steve White Motors of Hickory using the name and identity of his brother.

Warrants indicate that he filed a false affidavit with the NCDMV, forged an odometer statement, applied for a North Carolina vehicle title using a fraudulently-obtained Indiana driver license in his brother’s name, and forged an eligible risk statement, a damage disclosure statement and a dealer’s reassignment of title. As a result, Morrone was charged with five counts of title fraud and one count each of identity theft and making a false affidavit perjury.

In a similar case on July 19, 2012, Morrone is accused of trading a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee at Hendrick Chrysler Jeep in Fayetteville in the purchase of a 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee. The transaction was completed using a fraudulently-obtained Indiana driver license and military identification card belonging to his brother.

Inspectors found that Morrone forged his brother’s name on all documents related to the titling and purchase of the 2006 Jeep. During the transaction, he also used a credit/debit card belonging to his brother to pay $10,200. For this incident, Morrone was charged with three counts of identity theft, three counts of common law forgery, three counts of common law uttering, four counts of title fraud and one count of obtaining property by false pretenses.

Sign up for Ft. Bragg Patch news to your inbox for updates on this story.