| Houston & Texas | http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4098424.htm |
'We just want to get
rid of him and get past it'
Trial to put man accused
of faking SEAL status before the women who say he duped them
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
When Eric Eugene Cooper's many ex-wives and former girlfriends appear in a Harris County courtroom today, they will see a man very different from the charmer who captivated them in years past.
The engaging fellow they accuse of waging a complex charade — who, they say, falsely presented himself as a U.S. Navy SEAL, naval officer or recruiting officer, wearing military uniforms as he wooed them with prospects of marriage — will be only a memory.
Instead, they will see a nondescript man in a wheelchair, who has been locked up for more than a year. Cooper, who his attorney says suffers from diabetes and bone cancer, also will have an insulin pump attached to his body......
Cooper, 30, a San Jacinto County man who prosecutors say is not a Navy officer and never finished basic training, is charged with tampering with a government document. He could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. If that happens, he has asked that his sentence be assessed by the judge instead of the jury.....