Former officer Shane Ladner arrested; lied about Purple Heart honor

Former Holly Springs Police Officer Shane Ladner is under arrest Wednesday. Cherokee County Sheriff's detectives took him into custody shortly after noon, charging him with four counts of theft by deception, one count of false Swearing and one count of false statement to a police officer.

Ladner's arrest comes after a six-week investigation at the request of District Attoey Shannon Wallace, the Sheriff's Office said.  The investigation revealed that Ladner was not a Purple Heart recipient as he has claimed for several years.

Shane Ladner and his wife, Meg, were injured in a Texas parade honoring military veterans. Four people died and dozens more were injured when a train struck the parade. Meg Ladner lost her left leg due to injuries suffered in the accident.

The theft by deception charges are from Shane Ladner receiving a free Purple Heart License plate in 2009, 2010, 2011 and in 2012. The Sheriff's Office says Ladner that when originally applied for the license plate in 2009 he was required to swear that he was a Purple Heart recipient, hence the False Swearing charge.

The false statement charge is from lying to detectives during an interview. The United States Army has no record of the 2004 dd214 that Ladner presented to obtain his Purple Heart Georgia License plate, authorities said.

Shane Ladner is currently in custody at the Cherokee Adult Detention Center with a $23,100 bond.