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ST. GEORGE — A Utah State Prison inmate is under investigation for allegedly posing as a retired U.S. Navy Seal Team 4 member to receive financial assistance, according to a newly unsealed search warrant affidavit.
Eric Robert Purdy, 41, has not been arrested or charged in connection with the investigation. But Purdy, who has been convicted in the past of theft by deception, forgery and theft, and was paroled from the Utah State Prison in June of 2013, did have his parole revoked two weeks ago and remained in prison Monday.
According to a search warrant filed in 5th District Court, an Adult Probation and Parole officer conducting a check of Purdy's laptop found evidence of child pornography.
"This was especially concerning because Mr. Purdy had been coaching a female children's soccer league earlier this year," the warrant states.
Upon closer inspection, the parole officer also found "four military certificates that appeared to be forged; as they indicated various achievements within the United States Marines, and the United States Navy Special Forces, under the rank of captain; which is concerning because Mr. Purdy was never in the Marines or the Navy, but instead in the Army for one year before being discharged for legal reasons in 1998," the warrant states.
Purdy was given an "other than honorable" discharge, according to the affidavit.
Through their investigation, parole agents discovered that Purdy had approached a veteran charity, Operation Bald Eagle, claiming he was a retired member of Seal Team 4 "in order to receive financial assistance for a rental car that has been rented to him since May 18, 2016," the warrant states.
"Mr. Purdy is not employed, but somehow manages to afford a 2017 Toyota Camry, his accommodations, and daily living expenses," officers wrote in the affidavit.
Also found during the search were two cellphones containing text messages "in which Mr. Purdy was identifying himself as a federal agent of the U.S. Marshals Service," the warrant states.
Agents believe Purdy was "corresponding with law enforcement officers, asking them to run information about individuals; i.e. whether they have active warrants or the status of their driver's license," according to the search warrant.
In some of the texts he "had been telling others that he was a U.S. marshal and that he was unavailable to hang out with friends because he was busy on a 'fugitive detail' that night," the affidavit states.
As for the allegedly fake certificates claiming he was in the Navy special operations forces, the warrant also notes that "Mr. Purdy is on parole for both theft and forgery charges, and had experience working as a digital designer."
A spokeswoman with the Department of Corrections said Monday that the investigation into the latest allegations is ongoing.
