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During 2012 Veterans Day ceremonies in Midland, Texas, a train crash started an unbelievable chain-reaction of events that exposed a Stolen Valor fraud. While sitting atop a parade float designed to honor wounded veterans, Shane Ladner, along with his wife, was struck by a Union Pacific train traveling 60 mph. In the carnage, four veterans died, and dozens were injured, including spouses. Tragically, Meg Ladner lost a leg. In response, America was shocked at the images of the parade float crushed by the enormous train. Further, the Ladners’ home of Atlanta, Georgia rallied, offering sympathy and financial donations. After all, Shane was a decorated small-town police officer and an Army veteran. Further, America was at war. However, Meg’s relatives responded differently. Her family began a campaign to have authorities investigate Shane’s claim of being a Purple Heart recipient. They believed he was a fraud, arguing he was now responsible for Meg’s injury. Soon, Ladner was arrested by local Georgia authorities for fraudulently obtaining a state-issued Purple Heart license plate and, by default, being exempt from ad valorem taxes. In response, Ladner’s attorneys produced a document and a witness that appeared to validate his Purple Heart claim. Panicked, local authorities reached out to Mark Sewell, an Atlanta FBI Agent with a history of convicting Stolen Valor frauds. Soon, Sewell became the lead investigator, working with a determined local prosecutor. The FBI eventually found the critical evidence to convince a jury that Ladner was indeed a fraud and guilty of Stolen Valor.