David.

This is coolbert:

"The Supreme Commander"

Here is the strange case of David Deng. Thanks to National Public Radio [NPR] for the tip and story.

David Deng. Chinese national recruiting other Chinese nationals [David and his recruits were uniformly all not U.S. citizens?] to his own personal army.

Uniforms, ID card, training in the desert with air rifles, marching in parades, etc.

"Chinese National Accused In Army Recruiting Scam"

"A Chinese national who said he was the 'supreme commander' of a made-up Army unit orchestrated an elaborate scheme that attracted recruits and their money with the promise that it was a path to U.S. citizenship, authorities allege."

"David Deng, recruited 100 other Chinese nationals . . . to join the 'U.S. Army/Military Special Forces Reserve unit,' then gave them phony U.S. Army uniforms and military ID cards."

"The 51-year-old El Monte man is accused of charging the recruits initiation fees ranging from $300 to $450, with renewal fees set at $120 a year."

A con game, a scam, the intent [?] was to hoodwink unsuspecting Chinese nationals that this all comprised a "path to citizenship"?

This does not seem to be much of a criminal enterprise, if any profit was made by David at all. The fees as "charged" by David were rather nominal, David indeed providing uniforms and training of a sort, NOT profiting by a wide margin from any of his activities.

David is a military "wannabee" of some sort? This is not clear. This represents more of an ego trip for David, he becomes the "big man" that everyone else looks up to, etc. That is my impression.

And the whole episode is almost comical in nature? A fraud was perpetrated - - but NOT a LOT of harm has been done. Criminal nonetheless.

And in a way reminiscent to a degree of the training as administered 100 years earlier by Homer Lea? David perhaps inspired desiring to emulate Homer Lea in a similar manner, but much less successful?

coolbert.