Family, friends and veterans groups filled the airport terminal to greet Jordan Olson. They held balloons, American flags and banners. Hugs and handshakes abounded.

For the Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier, on leave from the war in Afghanistan, Saturday’s homecoming was nothing short of a hero’s welcome.

He walked with a slight limp and explained the injuries by telling family members he suffered kidney injuries from a bomb blast during a mission with 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment – a unit of Lewis-McChord’s 17th Fires Brigade that has been in Afghanistan since October.

Two days later, the soldier’s lies became public. And they might leave him open to prosecution under a federal law that prohibits falsely claiming military honors.

The Appleton Post-Crescent of Wisconsin covered Olson’s homecoming at Outagamie County Regional Airport for its Sunday edition. The paper’s readers noticed inconsistencies in Olson’s story and the photos the newspaper published. And when the reporter contacted a Lewis-McChord public affairs officer, the 22-year-old soldier’s story unraveled.

Among the newspaper’s findings:

– Olson told a reporter he was a sergeant. He is actually a specialist with no upcoming promotion, Lewis-McChord spokesman Maj. Mike Garcia said.

– He was wearing the patch of the 82nd Airborne Division, but his battalion was not attached to the division. “The soldier has no reason to wear that particular combat patch,” Garcia said.

– According to his battalion, Olson was not wounded in combat.

– Olson also wore the Parachutist Badge and the Combat Action Badge. According to his military records, he never attended the U.S. Army Airborne School, nor was he authorized to wear the Combat Action Badge.

Various patches and badges are for sale as post exchanges across the world, including Afghanistan and Iraq.

“In recent history, we have not encountered this type of situation,” base spokesman Joe Kubistek told The News Tribune.

Garcia, the public affairs officer, offered no explanation about the discrepancies in Olson’s answers, rank, patches or badges. He said the situation is something his unit will look into upon its return to Lewis-McChord.

And Olson’s resume embellishment might not just be in bad taste. He could have violated a federal crime. The Stolen Valor Act of 2005 makes it illegal to claim unearned military decorations or medals – even if the perpetrator doesn’t financially gain from the lies.

Two men in separate cases are challenging the constitutionality of the act, saying the law violates their right of free speech.

More Stolen Valor Act-related cases are prosecuted in western Washington than almost anywhere else in the country, said Emily Langlie, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Seattle. Many of the cases often include fraud, such as trying to claim veterans’ benefits, though that is not a requirement for the crime.

A special agent at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General, which tracks the number of cases throughout the western Washington, did not respond to a voicemail seeking more information.

His wife, Talisa Olson, called The News Tribune on Tuesday after reading about her husband’s uniform additions. She said he called from Afghanistan earlier this year and told her he was being promoted, so it wasn’t much of a surprise when he landed at Sea-Tac Airport.

But she was taken back when she saw a woman in the Post-Crescent story being identified as Olson’s fiancée. Talisa Olson said she and her husband of 13 months had been working out their problems.

“He got caught in a lie,” said Olson, a Lakewood resident who works on base. “He knows he got caught. I’m his wife and I know he’s lying.”

Olson’s mother, Shari Bernhagen, told the Post-Crescent her son’s situation had become “a mess.”

“Do I think Jordan is perfect? Absolutely not,” she said. “Do I think any of us are? No. Do I think that there are things in the past that came to bite him? Maybe. But do I also believe that he is deserving? I think he is deserving of a fair shake to be held for what is, is.”