I am doubtful about the veneer thing due to the binding. The dude woulda had to have sanded down the top wood, and probably remove the binding, add the veneer and then rebind it. Too much work when you could just plug holes and refin solid.
Look at this pic:
There is no veneer stepping above the binding. The pic of the open control cavity is too dark to see any layers in there from what I see.
I would believe the sellers story, but as Dave said, that doesn't make this a Gibson, and it certainly doesn't make it desirable at all (unless you like the result, but it's all kinda of characterless bits) or valuable. I suspect they took a bound but otherwise unrouted (or just control route) and unfinished body and neck (without fretboard, or replaced it later) home and went to town. Looks like the structural work (fretboard, routing, even the finishing) at least was well done, but that's the only good thing I can say about it.