A Palm Springs man who prosecutors say wore military uniforms and medals but never served in the armed forces has been charged with unauthorized wearing of military medals, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Wednesday.

Contacted at his Palm Springs home Wednesday morning, 39-year-old Steven Burton declined to comment on prosecutors' allegations that he wore awards including the Navy's highest medal, the Navy Cross, and a Purple Heart.

Prosecutors have not determined if the decorations are actual medals issued by the military or counterfeit replicas, but Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Akrotirianakis said federal law prohibits the unauthorized wearing of both real medals and what the law calls "colorable imitations."

An FBI investigator also said Burton blogged about being a Marine, writing about combat in Fallujah and saying he had served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Burton is expected to appear Thursday morning in U.S. District Court in Riverside, prosecutors said. He is expected to enter a plea at the initial court appearance.

The U.S. Attorney's Office filed the misdemeanor charge on Friday. If convicted, Burton could be sentenced to up to one year in federal prison.

In an affidavit filed in support of a search warrant application, FBI Special Agent Akil Davis wrote that a U.S. Navy commander saw Burton at her high school reunion earlier this year wearing a U.S. Marine Corps uniform indicating the rank of lieutenant colonel and various medals.

The commander was suspicious and asked to take a photograph with Burton, which she later gave to the FBI, Davis wrote. The commander and Davis also checked with the Navy and learned that Burton had not been awarded the Navy Cross and was not a Marine or a member of any other branch of the U.S. military, according to the affidavit.

Davis' research turned up Burton's blog, where had had posted another photo of himself in the Marine uniform, according to the affidavit.

Davis wrote that he conducted surveillance at Burton's Palm Springs home and also had the Palm Springs Police Department visit the home "under the guise of conducting an identity theft investigation in which Burton was a potential victim" in order to make sure Burton lived at the address he listed with the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

Federal investigators talked to Burton when the FBI served a search warrant at his home late last month, Akrotirianakis said.

Akrotirianakis would not say whether Burton told investigators anything about why he wore the uniform and medals.

"His statements to the FBI are not a matter of public record," he said.