Aug. 16-- A former volunteer firefighter on Long Island is facing felony charges after Nassau County prosecutors say he faked Army deployment orders to gain pension credits.

Newsday reports that Raymond Nicholson III, a 34-year-old former Levittown firefighter, was arrested Tuesday on two counts each of criminal possession of a forged instrument and offering a false instrument for filing.

The Nassau County District Attorney's office says that between 2016 and 2017, Nicholson -- who was honorably discharged from the Army in 2006 --  handed in falsified active duty orders to the Levittown Fire Department. One of the faked documents said Nicholson was to report to Andrews Air Force Base for 364 days, while another said he had to report to the World Trade Center for 180 days, according to prosecutors.

Active duty orders credited Nicholson with time toward a pension without having to meet a quota for fire call responses, but an internal audit showed he hadn't been on active duty during those times.

Nassau County D.A. Madeline Singas said in a statement that "falsifying government documents to receive unearned benefits is a serious crime that victimizes taxpayers."

Nicholson, whom Newsday says now works as a border patrol agent at John F. Kennedy International Airport, faces up to seven years in prison if he's convicted on all charges.

New York fire districts and municipalities that rely on volunteer firefighters can offer a pension-type benefit program under which participants can earn credit toward a retirement benefit at a set age, according to Newsday.