A former Navy sailor from Seattle has admitted that he deliberately lied about suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder in order to receive federal benefits of $174,000, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Seattle reported.

At the U.S. District Court in Seattle on Thursday, Larry Porter acknowledged that he was guilty of mail fraud, according to a statement from the office. In addition, he said he lied about seeing a civilian worker fall from a vessel at a Navy shipyard in Alameda, Calif., and drown.

Porter, 51, also told the federal government that his stress disorder started partly because he saw a serviceman die on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

In 1999, he submitted his claims to the Department of Veterans Affairs because he said the experiences occurred while he served in the Navy.

The department paid him about $134,000 in benefits. Prosecutors reported that the Social Security Administration gave him $40,000 in benefits.

Investigators couldn't verify the alleged death of the civilian worker in Alameda, Calif. While the death on the Golden Gate Bridge apparently took place, Porter did not witness it, said Emily Langlie, spokeswoman for the Attorney's Office.

As part of an agreement, Porter will repay the Department of Veterans Affairs the money he received from it. In addition, he will give back the money he received from the Social Security Administration.

He served in the Navy from Sept. 1974 to Dec. 1975, according to prosecutors. Another claim was that he was tossed into 18 feet of water during basic training but that he couldn't swim. Porter is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12, 2007.

People found guilty of mail fraud can be punished by up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and supervision after being released, according to prosecutors.

Source: Seattle Post Intelligencer