“THIS IDENTITY IS MINE NOW”!!! BELIEVE IT OR NOT, AUTHORITIES SAY AN UNIDENTIFIED DEFENDANT SPENT 25 YEARS LIVING UNDER THE IDENTITY OF A BOY MURDERED IN 1977… AND A FEDERAL JUDGE HAS NOW SENTENCED HIM TO OVER FIVE YEARS IN PRISON WHILE HIS TRUE IDENTITY REMAINS A MYSTERY.
A federal judge has sentenced a man whose true identity remains unknown to more than five years in federal prison.
Authorities say the defendant spent 25 years living under the stolen identity of a child who was killed decades ago.
In May, a federal jury in Idaho convicted the man of wire fraud, theft of government funds, and aggravated identity theft.
The jury also found him guilty of related charges.
The identity he assumed belonged to Carlos Ramon Obregon.
Obregon was born in Los Angeles in 1963.
In 1977, at 14 years old, the teenager was killed in a drive-by shooting.
In 2000, 23 years after Obregon’s death, the defendant applied for a replacement Social Security card under the dead teenager’s name.
To obtain it, he used Obregon’s Social Security number, date of birth, and parents’ names.
From there, authorities said the defendant used Obregon’s identity to secure multiple Idaho identification cards.
He also used the persona to obtain a U.S. passport.
Eventually, he obtained an Idaho Star Card under the stolen identity.
The defendant used the passport to travel to Mexico several times.
Authorities said he also collected nearly $284,000 in government benefits under the stolen identity.
Those payouts included approximately $177,000 in Supplemental Security Income.
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They also included roughly $91,000 in Medicaid benefits.
He received approximately $12,000 in SNAP benefits under the name.
In addition, authorities said he collected $3,200 in economic impact payments.
Then the case went to trial.
Obregon’s mother took the stand and testified that her son died in 1977.
She testified that the man sitting in the courtroom was not her son.
She also told the court that the defendant was completely unknown to her.
Following the convictions, U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced the man to 61 months in federal prison.
Judge Nye ordered the term to be followed by three years of supervised release.
The judge also ordered the defendant to pay $283,977 in restitution.
And after the investigation, trial, and sentencing, authorities still apparently do not know who he actually is.
He stole a dead child’s identity.
He used it for 25 years.
He collected nearly $284,000 in public benefits.
He traveled internationally under the boy’s name.
His real name remains unknown.
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