TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- The U.S. Attorney\'s Office has launched a probe into Mayor Bob Levy, making him but another in a string of local officials to come under the scrutiny of law enforcement over the years.
An official with knowledge of the case, who spoke anonymously because the investigation is ongoing, said the probe involves whether Levy\'s false claims to have served with the U.S. Army Green Berets in Vietnam were made with the intention of bumping up his veteran\'s benefits.
Meanwhile, Levy is nowhere it be found, with no word in this East Coast gambling mecca on when, or if, Levy will be back.
Official word from city government is that Levy is on an indefinite medical leave, with power transferred verbally from the mayor to the city business administrator, Domenic Cappella.
But City Council members are questioning Cappella\'s claim to power, asking why the power transfer wasn\'t more formal.
Meanwhile, Assemblyman Jim Whelan, a former mayor, is saying that Levy, whom he describes as his best friend since the two were teenage lifeguards on the city\'s beaches, should either explain why he\'s been gone or resign.
"You can\'t have this big mystery going on and have a functioning city government," Whelan said recently.
"What exactly is going on in this city?'' city resident Steve Young asked during a Wednesday night City Council meeting.
Levy acknowledged last year that he misrepresented his military service in the Vietnam War, conceding that he was never a member of the Army\'s elite Green Berets.
The Press of Atlantic City used military records that verified Levy was a 20-year Army veteran with two Bronze Stars and two tours of duty in Vietnam but was not a member of the Army Special Forces.
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