WASHINGTON COUNTY, Wis. — A Richland Center man has been charged in a stolen military valor case after allegedly pretending to be a Marine and stealing thousands of dollars, the Washington County Sheriff's Office says.
Jakobie Timblin, 34, was charged with providing false statements regarding military service with intent to commit a crime and theft by false representation. Timblin was arraigned in Washington County Circuit Court last month for the two felony counts.
The sheriff's office says Timblin allegedly began communication with the victim in 2015 online. In 2016, someone pretending to be Timblin's mother asked the victim to write to him overseas because he was serving as a member of the United States Marines. The victim then communicated with Timblin by sending letters for the next several years.
In 2019, the two met in person and began dating. That same year, the victim was contacted by someone claiming to be Timblin's captain. He said he was putting together a gift for Timblin based on the "heroic work he did overseas." The sheriff's office says the person asked for a loan that would be reimbursed by the Department of Defense. The victim then wrote a check for $5,000.
Throughout their relationship, Timblin claimed to have been deployed five times, once in Iraq and four times to Afghanistan. During that time, he was actually in prison.
According to the sheriff's office, on one trip to the victim's family cabin, Timblin allegedly brought along his "dress blues" which had multiple medals attached, including a purple heart. Timblin told the victim's stepmother that he learned of his mother's death when he returned from deployment and needed money to help with estate planning. He allegedly said, "he was upset that the bill collector would harass a military man of honor like himself." The victim's stepmother wrote him a check for $6,500 but was never paid back.
The stepmother checked into Timblin's mother's obituary and learned she only had one son named Jacob Elliot. She then discovered Elliot was on extended release for a 2014 armed robbery and verified through a Department of Corrections picture that Elliot is actually Timblin. She then contacted the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
With help from the Marines, it was verified that Timblin never served in the armed forces.
The sheriff's office says that Elliot changed his name to Timblin after he met the victim and had purchased the uniform and medals online. He was released from prison in late 2018 and shortly after began dating the victim.
Timblin returns to court on May 25 for a plea/sentencing hearing in Washington County Circuit Court.
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