A Florida attorney on a mission to expose Navy SEAL imposters has filed the first of what he says could be multiple lawsuits, the Tampa Tribune reported Tuesday.
Lawyer Gene Odom, of Tampa, Fla., filed a lawsuit Monday in Hillsborough County circuit court that accuses Barry "Bear" Silverman of falsely claiming to have Navy SEAL training, according to the newspaper.
Silverman reportedly runs a business out of Broward County that offers "training to customers seeking Navy SEAL instruction in weapons use and security deployment."
The newspaper reported that the lawsuit was filed on behalf of Don Shipley, a 24-year Navy veteran who runs a training business similar to Silverman's.
Shipley's Extreme SEAL Experience is based in Chesapeake, Va., but has an adjunct office in Hillsborough County.
The lawsuit filed by Odom claims that Shipley's business is being harmed by alleged imposters, like Silverman, who pretend to be former SEALs.
"The number of new customers has decreased as a result of prospective customers associating the quality of plaintiff’s business with the Defendant’s illegitimate knockoff," the complaint reportedly states.
Shipley, who declined to elaborate on the specifics of the suit, told FoxNews.com that he and his attorney are trying to "stop some of these ridiculous antics that are going on."
"It’s a very important thing that we’re doing," Shipley said Wednesday.
Command spokesman Navy Senior Chief Michael A. Raney told the Tampa Tribune in an email that Silverman was not on record as having attended Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training. Raney also said in the email that Silverman "never attempted the training."
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