European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 6, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Soldier convicted for claims wrongful wearing of medal by Doyle Tillman Kaiserslautern Bureau Baum older Germany a army staff sgt. Henry a a _ _ Ana wrongfully wearing a Bronze Star army of Avilajr. Was convicted Friday by a military court for filing a related claims stealing . Government false Movin property _ facials said monday. Avila was subsequently sentenced by a general court martial to seven years in prison along with a reduction to i private fines totalling $2,266, forfeiture of All pay and Al Owannes and a dishonourable discharge. The 11-year Veteran was assigned to he co 4th in 12th inf regt. During his three Day trial prosecutors presented evidence to show that Avila had a history of filing false claims for lost or missing items that in fact were already damaged or not missing. One claim involved a household goods shipment that was filed april 23,1993, for More than $23,500, according to court testimony. He was also found guilty of completing false claims on his and his wife a sgt. 1st class Wanda Avila separate hold baggage shipments. These claims were filed by the Soldier March 3 and March 5,1993. Stefan Moosmann a claims examiner in Baum older testified thursday that he reviewed the household goods claim but could not pay it because it exceeded the local $5,000 payment ceiling. A the first thing i noticed was that sergeant Avila waited two years to file a $23,551.59 claim a Moosmann said. In fact testimony showed that Henry Avila had filed his claim just two Days before the two year claims filing deadline. Quot a a experts testified that one sign of a fraudulent claim is Large amounts of recently purchased items. Nothing on the household goods claim was More than 18 months old but new items costing almost $20,000 were bought a within a year or shortly after a Moosmann testified Moosmann also noted that Henry Avila had Only a single receipt to present with the claim. Defense attorney Edgar Jones Cross examined Moos Mann saying the Avila family gave his client More than $20,000 when he married Wanda Avila. Questions about the claim also arose when Henry Avila claimed furniture including a Couch Hall table Wall unit microwave oven and other normally noticeable items was missing Moosmann said. None of the items was noted on the household goods receipt for delivery documents he testified. A.7". 77. A a the Baum older claims office settled the hold baggage claims because All claimants Are presumed to be honest Moosmann said. The combined Nold baggage claims totalled More than $3,300. On thursday prosecutors had a detail of Baum older soldiers deliver the estimated $16,000 Worth of government military equipment authorities seized from Henry Avilas government apartment. Prosecutor capt. Mark Tellitocci had the materials Laid out before the jury As he and special agent Jeffrey s. Wallace of the criminal investigation come commonly known As Cid opened bags and boxes of military equipment. Among the items taken from Avilas Home were six kuwaiti liberation medals which according to testimony Are Worth about $400 each. As for the Bronze Star witnesses for the prosecution testified about Henry Avilas knowledge or ability to forge an awards certificate for himself. Avila is in the army a jail in Mannheim. German military crash authorities sift through the wreckage of a German military Rescue helicopter after it rammed into a telecommunications Tower burst into flames and plunged into a Park in Mannheim Germany on monday. The three soldiers and a civilian doctor aboard the aircraft were killed. The crash occurred before Dawn As the helicopter was returning to its base in bad Kreuz Nach after delivering an emergency patient to a Hospital in Heidelberg. An investigator said the Accident May have resulted from poor visibility caused by rain. Air on 4 of us wonder what happened to writer Thad dear Santa i am not writing for myself this year. I have been Good but i would like to ask you if you found the Tittle boy name a a Thad in port Angeles Washington. My grandmother read the letter to me in 1992, and i cry because he asked to go to heaven with the Angels. I know he would be Happy with his mom Ana dad. Here is the newspaper clipping dated december 1992. Santa mercy Christmas to All of you and to Thad and family. From the 4 of us. Sembach Germany. Dear �?o4 of us a your letter has truly touched my heart. I did some research and found one follow up Story on Thad dated dec. 19,u92, on Page 4.1 wanted to Send you a copy Jimne newspaper clipping but you did not enclose your name or a return address. Various police departments in the surrounding area conducted a search for the boy who also asked Santa for food and a Job for his father and a fund was established in port Angeles for Thad. Please Send your name and a return address for a copy of the Story i found. I truly wish you All the Best for the Christmas season. A a a a a a a a a a a love Santa a dear Santa we Are a 5th Grade class from the Frankfurt International school and boy Are we Good we really like to learn. Our wish for Christmas is for the world in 1995 to realize How destructive hate is. A a a a a a a a a merry Christmas _ Jared Trinh Aasa Gretchen Hauberger Erin Laetz Laura Fowler Jonni Langer j. Tyler Straw Erica Fullenkamp Matthew Ngan Oliver Scarborough Jeff Merrill Audrey Kruse a Laura Anton Winston Roett Kelso Kitagawa Stephan Ruth Jorv Beljung. Elko revert Christiane Hussmann Angelina j eyes Eelan Denise Santa received a Nice letter from Kalen but unfortunately there was no return address so. Santa could not write Back. Santa received Nice letters and Christmas lists from the following Travis tumor Marcy tumor Robin Luo Brittney Karr Forton Ashley fal Sarrio Katie dul Knaier Erin Hayes Phillip Ponder Carey Williams  Calt in Cummings Christina Davies Michelle White Caitlan Wilson Tiffany Turner Elise Wright a a Kayla Karr Fortin Nick Usry Jessi Durl Maler Christina Reece a Anna Hayes Joshua Lee Gregory Ponder Christopher Minnich Kathryn Davies Timmy White Kayleigh Madsen. Drew Wilson. A questions about letters to Santa and the Art contest Call Michelle at Dan 348-8361. _ Moscow apr russian defense minister Pavel Grachev admitted monday that russian jets had carried out attacks on airfields in the breakaway Republic of Chechnya. Grachev told the itar Tass news Agency that the air raids last week were carried out on airfields where aircraft were parked after they had brought in weapons and mercenaries. _ he said that Only facilities controlled by chechen president a Khokhar Dunayev were targeted. A it was these facilities that were destroyed a Grachev said. He denied reports that residential areas were fired on. Russia has previously denied Active military involvement in the chechen conflict. Grachev Interior minister Viktor Erin and counterintelligence chief Sergei Stepahin flew to North Ossetia on monday to inspect russian troops mobilizing on the chechen Border. North Ossetia neighbors Chechnya for Merly called the chechen Angush Region in the caucasus mountains of Southern Russia. The High powered visit came As a russian commission began work trying to ease tension Between Moscow a and the Republic which declared Independence in 1991. Duda Yevu a government has agreed to talk with Moscow but insists chechen Independence is not negotiable. Vladimir Shumaiko head of the upper House of russians parliament said monday Region that Hopes of a negotiated settlement Are dim. A Only through negotiations Between president Boris Yeltsin and president Dunayev can any result be reached but it is impossible to bring them together now that blood is being spilled a Shumaiko said in Moscow. A after months of skirmishes fighting flared late last month in Chechnya. Russia has threatened to impose a state of emergency if the chechen do not Stop fighting