BALTIMORE, Maryland- William G. Hillar, age 66, of Millersville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud in connection with a scheme to lie about his military experience and academic credentials in order to gain employment for teaching and training.
"William G. Hillar lived a lie and based his teaching career on military experience he did not have and credentials that he did not earn," said U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein.
According to Hillar's plea agreement, from around 1998 to 2010, private and public sector organizations paid Hillar at least $171,415 for teaching, leading workshops, giving speeches and conducting training on counter terrorism, drugs trafficking, human trafficking and related topics. Hillar conducted these activities through a business named "Bill Hillar Training."
According to the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Hillar led two one-credit, 15-hour workshops per year at the Institute between 2005 and 2010.
In order to secure these employments, Hillar falsely represented in resumes, biographical statements and on the Internet that: "William G. Hillar is a retired Colonel of the U.S. Army Special Forces. He has served in Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America, where his diverse training and experiences included tactical counter-terrorism, explosive ordnance, emergency medicine and psychological warfare."
Hillar faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. As part of his plea agreement, Hillar has agreed to pay restitution of $171,415, and perform no less than 500 community hours at the Maryland State Veterans Cemeteries.
