A Houston area man who claimed to be a highly decorated combat veteran has resigned from a local veteran's group as the FBI investigates allegations that he fabricated his military service, Local 2 Investigates reported on Wednesday.

Paul Arthur Schroeder, 40, of The Woodlands, has become known nationwide for his riveting stories of overcoming post-traumatic stress disorder, and was prominently featured in a training video played for all officers at the Houston Police Academy.

The PTSD Foundation of America said Wednesday that he resigned from his paid position as chief counselor for the veteran's group.

Other veterans told Local 2 Investigates that he has been a featured speaker at events throughout the country, including the Houston Police Academy, and was often seen in uniform and wearing numerous medals and pins.

Police academy sources told Local 2 Investigates that Schroeder has now been edited out of the HPD training video amid suspicions that his entire war record was fabricated.

Federal Bureau of Investigation agents have begun a criminal investigation into Shroeder. He may face charges under the federal Stolen Valor Act.

That law makes it a felony crime to wear military medals in public when those honors were not really earned, and it also makes some false statements about military service illegal.

The HPD training video featured portions of an interview that Shroeder gave to KPRC Local 2 in May 2011.

In one portion of that interview, which was included in the HPD training video, Schroeder said, "One day in the middle of the afternoon, I'm sitting on my sofa.  I've got a drink in one hand and a .45 in the other.  I wasn't sure which shot I was going to take next."

Veterans told Local 2 Investigates that his comment resonated with actual combat veterans and other PTSD sufferers, and they said they recalled him receiving standing ovations for his emotional and colorful descriptions of war's aftermath.

Several veterans and HPD officers told Local 2 Investigates he would sometimes attend events wearing full military uniform and displaying medals such as the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star and the Silver Star.

His stories about serving top-secret, classified missions with Special Forces troops started to unravel when a group of actual Special Forces veterans received a recommendation to include him as a speaker.

When the Special Forces veterans checked into his record, they found no listing of his service with any Special Forces unit.

FBI agents have since obtained his formal service record from the Pentagon, a Form DD-214.

His DD-214 that was presented to HPD as part of its training program and to other veteran's groups lists is now suspected of being a phony, according to sources close to the FBI investigation.

The service record presented to veterans and HPD showed a 9-year sting with Special Forces and it listed several major military honors, including:

• Silver Star
• Bronze Star (3 separate awards)
• Purple Heart (2 separate medals)
• Meritorious Service Medal (2 awards)

READ: Suspected PTSD interview forgery

The DD-214 also details several Special Forces qualifications and missions.

However, the FBI also has an authentic Form DD-214 form, which was also obtained by Local 2 Investigates.

READ: Authentic PTSD interview

His authentic service record spells out that he served only as a Military Police officer during his service without ever leaving the country for combat.   The real record shows he served at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio and Fort Stewart in Georgia.

The document shows his rank as being two grades lower than the rank on the suspected forgery, and it also shows no mention of any Special Forces work.  It also shows no Silver Star, not a single Bronze Star, and no Purple Heart.

"He's a dynamic speaker," said one veteran who has heard Schroeder speak.  

"This guy has been a (expletive) fraud," said the veteran, who asked not to be identified.