11 News just learned that the man facing federal charges for allegedly pretending to be a wounded veteran has been arrested in California.

Rick Strandlof, 32, who went by the name Rick Duncan, claimed to be a former Marine injured in combat. Strandlof allegedly claimed to have been awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart.

An arrest warrant was issued on October 1 and federal authorities caught and arrested Strandlof Friday, October 9 in downtown San Diego, California. He's charged with making false claims about receipt of military decorations or medals (Stolen Valor).

An arrest affidavit obtained by 11 News details the exact circumstances of the case against Strandlof. The document says on May 4, 2009, the Denver FBI was notified that a Captain Rick Duncan, born in 1977, was falsely representing himself as a Naval Academy Graduate, wounded Marine veteran and Purple Heart recipient from injuries sustained in the Battle of Fallujah in Iraq.

Individuals reported to the Denver FBI that Duncan started a veteran's organization called Colorado Veteran's Alliance (CVA). However, they reported that the the trade name for CVA was registered under a Rick Strandlof. That's when their suspicions led them to call the Naval Academy, who then confirmed that no one by the name Rick Duncan ever graduated from the academy during the time framed claimed by Strandlof.

Denver FBI agents then confirmed a man under the name Rick Strandlof had been involved in a fraud scheme in Reno, NV and had two outstanding arrest warrant in California and a state-wide warrant out of Colorado Springs for a traffic offense.

Further investigation revealed Strandlof was using two aliases, Rick Duncan and Rick Pierson. FBI agents confirmed no one under any of those names, born in 1977, had ever served in the military.

On May 13, 2009 FBI agents say Strandlof admitted to them he was using the alias Rick Duncan and he had "pulled the name Duncan off the Internet." The arrest affidavit says Strandlof also admitted he had never been a Marine and never served in the military. The affidavit goes on to say he admitted to misrepresenting himself as a wounded veteran through CVA and making speeches under the alias Rick Duncan and posting those speeches to YOUTUBE.com.

In those fake speeches, the affidavit says Strandlof was claiming to have been wounded by an IED attack and had lost four Marines under his command. The documents also say he claimed in the speeches to have a metal plate in his head and suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Traumatic Brain Injury.

He could face one year in federal prison and a $100,000 fine.

11 News is following this story. Stay with 11 News and KKTV.com for the latest on this investigation.