Valor gone under the gavel
Medals among goods auctioned while USAF sergeant served overseas
The guitar, the washer and dryer, the three rooms of furniture can all be replaced.
But the things that meant most to Air Force Tech. Sgt. Charlie Cornacchio — the medals his grandfather earned in the Korean War, the ones his cousin, a Green Beret, gave him before he was killed in Afghanistan — those, he knows, are gone for good.
On Tuesday, the Justice Department sued the Billerica storage company Cornacchio entrusted those heirlooms to, alleging that it auctioned them off while he was deployed to the Middle East.
“There are times when it brings me to tears because he’s not going to get them back,” his father, Charlie Cornacchio, told the Herald. “It’s just cruel what they did. It’s unconscionable.”
The lawsuit the Justice Department filed alleges that PRTaylor Enterprises LLC, a company doing business as Father & Son Moving & Storage, violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act by failing to obtain a court order before auctioning off the entire contents of Cor- nacchio’s storage units while he was deployed overseas.
“This servicemember was called overseas to serve our country and returned home to find his personal possessions, family heirlooms and military awards auctioned off to the highest bidder,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling. “That is unacceptable. We will continue to protect the rights of servicemembers who dedicate their lives to preserving our security and freedom.”
The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act places the burden on moving and storage companies to determine whether the property in their possession belongs to a service member.
The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Boston, alleges that several facts should have put Father & Son on notice that Cornacchio, 32, was a servicemember, including that he told a company agent that he was in the military, Lelling said.
The company also packed and picked up Cornacchio’s belongings at Hanscom Air Force Base while he was present and wearing his U.S. Air Force uniform, according to court documents.
The lawsuit alleges that Father & Son sent invoices to the technical sergeant at the Air Force base while he was stationed overseas. The company did not return calls on Tuesday seeking comment.
“Congress enacted the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to protect the patriots who protect all of us by serving in our nation’s armed
CHARLIE CORNACCHIO father of active-duty USAF sergeant
forces,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric Dreiband of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act outlawed the kind of conduct alleged here, and for good reason.
The Justice Department filed the lawsuit, he added, to ensure that Cornacchio receives “just compensation” and to prevent these “unlawful business practices” from happening to another member of the military.
Service members and their dependents who believe their SCRA rights have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office.
For Cornacchio’s dad, the damage has already been done. “How do you sleep at night,” he said, “knowing you just sold what meant so much to someone?”
‘There are times when it brings me to tears because he’s not going to get them back. It’s just cruel what they did.’