"Fake Marin County Marine Accused of Abusive Training"

2015-07-24T13:50:08-04:00

From: ABC 7 News
--
SAN RAFAEL, Calif. (KGO) -- The ABC7 News I-Team is investigating how poorly a Marin County gym owner treated some of the young men who came to him for training. Greg Allen shut down his business in May after the I-Team revealed he lied about being a military hero and that the FBI is investigating possible criminal charges.

Allen put himself out there as a war hero and a former Marine drill instructor who knew how to get someone in shape. But the real professionals tell the I-Team that some of what Allen did at his gym was abusive and dangerous.

Joey Lazor is heading off to college soon, but he was just starting his freshman year of high school when he went to San Rafael's House of Steel. His dad thought it would toughen him up. At 4 a.m. on a school day, Lazor made the mistake of looking gym owner Allen in the eye.

Lazor: "He said, 'Don't you dare f****** look me in the face or I'll smash your head into the wall.'"
Noyes: "And you're 14 years old?"
Lazor: "Yeah, it scared me. His bald head and very piercing watery blue eyes, I will never forget that image."

Even though Allen's actual military records show no active duty, just eight months in the Navy before a medical discharge, he demanded respect as a war hero, as seen in a video obtained by 20/20.

"My name is Gregory Bruce Allen, retired first lieutenant United States Marine Corps," he said in the video.

Allen wore a rack of phony medals, including a Purple Heart and Bronze Star with "V" for valor. He also lied about being a Recon Marine, a sniper with two tours in Vietnam.

Kris Hardy also worked out at House of Steel and he tells the I-Team, "He was talking about like they made a movie about him called 'Sniper' and stuff like this."

When asked if Allen meant the movie was about him, Hardy said, "Yeah, he said it was about him, which it really isn't."

Allen inspired such admiration in the young men he trained, several got big tattoos like one that reads: House of Steel -- Lt. Greg Allen.

"I would feel like I got duped if I got that tattoo and found out that this guy was a fraud," says 1st Sergeant Christian Bull, a real Marine drill instructor.

The I-Team asked Bull to analyze Allen's training techniques. The House of Steel workouts were very tough, especially for beginners like Lazor on that first day.

"And I remember trying to do, you had to do 100 pushups," Lazor said. "And if you didn't, you had to start over. And I could not get past the pushups."

Bull explains, "And you can hurt somebody like that. That's exactly how you're going to hurt them. How can I train somebody if I don't know their ability?"

Later that morning, Lazor said Allen held a hose over kids' faces, as they lay outside on the ground.

"You have to scream like non-stop, otherwise the water goes in your mouth and the only way to prevent yourself from choking is to, is just to keep screaming cause as soon as the water gets into your mouth you start choking and then it's just a disaster," he said.

Several sources told the I-Team that Allen often used that technique with the hose.

Bull: "That sounds like something you would do in some kind of POW camp."
Noyes: "Do you use water in any way besides to hydrate, besides a healthy way?"
Bull: "Absolutely not."

Kris Hardy told the I-Team that Allen and his squad leaders sometimes used drinking water as punishment and that in one session, while running laps in a parking lot, he downed 10 bottles.

"We'd have to drink the whole water bottle after one lap," he explained. "And then we would get another water bottle, have to drink that all down in another lap, and do that over and over again until we vomited back up."

Hardy says one of Allen's squad leaders made him do pushups in the mess.

"What kind of person would make somebody else do pushups in their own vomit?" Bull said. "To me, I don't see how the guy slept at night."

Bull says Allen seems to have made up training techniques of what he thought Marines might do because he never attended boot camp himself. Bull is upset about what Allen did in the name of the U.S. Marine Corps.

"It absolutely infuriates me because to me that's un-American," he said. "You don't do stuff like that. We are a nation that's built on honesty, integrity, commitment, dedication. These words, they have meaning. When we say things they mean something."

Some young men now serving in the military credit Allen's training with giving them a head start before boot camp.

The I-Team spoke with Simon Duvall, a Reconaissance Marine, when he was in the Philippines for a joint exercise."

Getting in shape, a lot of running, a lot of calisthenics, lifting," he said. "It definitely prepared me, gave me an upper edge."

Duvall was stunned when the I-Team broke the news to him that Allen is a fake. Bull said that with all the effort Allen put in, he could have become a real Marine and wouldn't have had to lie about it.

After the first I-Team report in May, Allen shut down the House of Steel. Two weeks ago, we saw a crew patching the walls at the gym and preparing for new tenants.

Allen did not return the I-Team's calls or texts, but we did reach his lawyer who would not comment for this report. The Marine Corps has banned Allen from all functions and facilities and now forbids any Marines from working out with him. The I-Team will keep tabs on the FBI investigation and will let you know the outcome.

http://abc7news.com/careers/i-team-fake-marin-county-marine-accused-of-abusive-training/876370/

Response by SN Greg Wright made Jul 24 at 2015 1:55 PM

2015-07-24T13:55:12-04:00

Throw him in a dark hole and lose the key.

Response by Sgt David G Duchesneau made Jul 24 at 2015 2:01 PM

2015-07-24T14:01:43-04:00

What an ass wipe! He is nothing but a soup sandwich!

Response by SSgt Alex Robinson made Jul 24 at 2015 2:07 PM

2015-07-24T14:07:00-04:00

This guy deserves to be punished in the same. Way he hurt people.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2015 2:14 PM

2015-07-24T14:14:24-04:00

I may just be a REMF kind of Soldier, but I am sure I can come up with ALLLLLLL kinds of creative exercises for this guy to do as punishment. I think I will start with leg lifts. Have him strapped to a board and leave only his legs free (but strapped together at the ankles)........just a few inches off the floor. Then release 30 very angry poodles to chomp at his feet and ankles.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2015 2:21 PM

2015-07-24T14:21:12-04:00

Delusional parasite.

Response by 1stSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2015 2:23 PM

2015-07-24T14:23:30-04:00

Can anyone spell fucking douche bag. He needs to have his bullying ass beat into the pavement.

Response by Capt Richard I P. made Jul 24 at 2015 2:34 PM

2015-07-24T14:34:41-04:00

Despicable.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2015 2:46 PM

2015-07-24T14:46:58-04:00

As an NCO and Active Duty soldier, this man is a slap in the face to all the good men serving honorably. 8 months in the Navy and couldn't hack it. No further comment.

Response by PVT Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 24 at 2015 6:28 PM

2015-07-24T18:28:38-04:00

Well thats pathetic. Lets see how long he can last in jail.

Response by CPT Aaron Kletzing made Jul 25 at 2015 10:15 AM

2015-07-25T10:15:18-04:00

Wow, that guy is crazy.

Response by SN Justin Cheney made Jul 26 at 2015 3:14 PM

2015-07-26T15:14:28-04:00

The FBI needs to go after this guy. This goes way beyond some POS stolen Valor just trying to act tough or get laid. He is/was making money off of this lie and from the sounds of it is lucky someone didn't die.

Response by CWO3 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2015 2:24 AM

2015-07-27T02:24:25-04:00

Another Joe Smuck-A-Telli with his tall sea stories. To ALL YOUNG MEN and WOMEN Who want to become a REAL MARINE, You have to Earn it the hard way. Either PI or Diego Not at someone's Gym like this nut case.
Semper Fi,
JK

Response by Sgt Jason Tangsrud made Jul 27 at 2015 10:40 AM

2015-07-27T10:40:03-04:00

I could think of a few ways to see just how tough this POS is.

Response by PV2 Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2015 11:01 AM

2015-07-27T11:01:49-04:00

Plenty of fine folks on here who I'm sure could show those young men what a real Marine or Soldier is. Disgusting.

Response by SGM Steve Wettstein made Jul 27 at 2015 11:04 AM

2015-07-27T11:04:53-04:00

What a tool.

Response by SGT Ben Keen made Jul 28 at 2015 2:16 PM

2015-07-28T14:16:27-04:00

This takes Stolen Valor to a whole new level. Of these liars don't cause phyiscal harm to others to maintain their lies. Sure some take money which might be worse but some of these things he did, especially to the younger gym goers may cause long term harm both physically and mentally.

Response by PFC Thomas Bersch made Jul 28 at 2015 3:54 PM

2015-07-28T15:54:52-04:00

As a Marine who "DID GO THROUGH BOOT CAMP" this guy needs to go to the toughest prison in the country and let all in the prison know what he did. My guess is he would be eating his own vomit and much worse. People today have a reverence for Veterans and it has taken this country way too long to achieve this to let a guy like this play on that reverence and make money off it must be held accountable for his actions. It is people like him who pretend to be someone they are not that gives honest everyday hardworking Veterans a bad name.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Aug 7 at 2015 7:56 AM

2015-08-07T07:56:51-04:00

I was a recruiting company commander in the North Bay, California area from 2011-2013. The Army, Navy, and Air Force recruiters spend a lot of time trying to earn the trust of families in this area as it is traditionally one of the most difficult recruiting areas in the nation. Generally, an instance like this will evaporate all the hard work and dedication placed forth by US military efforts over the last few years.

Response by CPO Andy Carrillo, MS made Sep 21 at 2015 4:02 PM

2015-09-21T16:02:17-04:00

When parents abdicate their role-model status and turn it over to sadistic narcissists, and pay for the "privilege"...

Response by 1stSgt Eugene Harless made Jan 14 at 2016 4:59 AM

2016-01-14T04:59:35-05:00

This turd was busted about 7 months ago and droppewd out of site. He did a short stint in thr Navy. sOMEHOW HE GOIT A va CARD WITH A mARINE eMBL;EM ON IT THOUGH.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 14 at 2016 5:46 AM

2016-01-14T05:46:48-05:00

Here's a few photos of this turd.

Response by SSG Edward Tilton made Feb 22 at 2018 9:16 PM

2018-02-22T21:16:00-05:00

SEMPER FI

Response by Maj Marcia Ann Kuehl made Feb 22 at 2018 10:08 PM

2018-02-22T22:08:58-05:00

WOW - NO NO NO - UNSAT -
Criminal charges should be pursued by anyone who was subject to this type of bullying and abuse - because in California - it is a crime to impersonate a military officer - see

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/912

18 U.S. Code § 912 - Officer or employee of the United States

Whoever falsely assumes or pretends to be an officer or employee acting under the authority of the United States or any department, agency or officer thereof, and acts as such, or in such pretended character demands or obtains any money, paper, document, or thing of value, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

Response by SSG Christopher Cannon made Aug 9 at 2018 12:50 AM

2018-08-09T00:50:51-04:00

He is just a loser does not deserve any mention of publicity.

Response by Juan Colonia made Jul 2 at 2019 9:38 AM

2019-07-02T09:38:30-04:00

I knew this guy and even shook his hand and thanked him for his service. I had a feeling there was something shady about him! I’m glad he is not bullying anyone anymore...