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UNKNOWN MAN SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON FOR USING IDENTITY OF DECEASED CHILD FOR 25 YEARS TO OBTAIN NEARLY $300,000 IN GOVERNMENT BENEFITS https://t.co/HUneyp1WKo @TheSSAOIG @OIGatHHS @OIGUSDA @TIGTA @IdahoITD

— U.S. Attorney's Office Idaho (@USAO_ID) August 25, 2026

A man whose identity remains unknown was sentenced to five years in federal prison for stealing the identity of a deceased child for 25 years to obtain significant government benefits, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today. After a three-day trial in May 2026, a federal jury sitting in Pocatello found the man guilty of wire fraud, theft of government funds, aggravated identity theft, and related charges.

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.

“Taxpayer funds are precious resources, and our office will fight to vigorously protect such funds,” U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis said. “This sentence should send a strong message that stealing taxpayer funds and craven identity theft will be met with a thorough federal investigation, and a stiff sentence.”

According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Carlos Ramon Obregon was born in 1963 in Los Angeles but was tragically killed in Los Angeles in 1977 at the age of 14 after suffering from a gunshot wound to the head during a drive-by shooting. Obregon was laid to rest at a local cemetery in Los Angeles that same year.

Twenty-three years after Obregon’s death, in 2000, the Defendant applied for a replacement social security card using Obregon’s social security number, Obregon’s date of birth, and Obregon’s parent’s names.

At trial, Obregon’s mother testified that Obregon died in 1977. She testified that the Defendant is not her son, and that she does not know the Defendant. The Defendant’s true identity remains unknown.

The Defendant misused Obregon’s identity to fraudulently obtain multiple identification documents. In 2012, the Defendant applied for, and obtained, a United States passport using Obregon’s birth certificate. He travelled multiple times on the passport to Mexico. In 2024, the Defendant unsuccessfully sought to renew the passport.

“Identity thieves who exploit the identities of deceased Americans cause real harm,” said Jonathan P. Kazmar, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) San Francisco Field Office. “In this case, the defendant assumed the identity of a deceased American teenager and used it for years to commit serious fraud. DSS will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of U.S. travel and identity documents and to seek justice for victims of identity theft.”

For more than two decades, the Defendant used Obregon’s name and identity to fraudulently obtain numerous government benefits totaling approximately $284,000. The Defendant unlawfully received approximately $177,000 in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, $91,00 in Medicaid benefits, $12,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and $3,200 in Economic Impact Payments.

“This defendant repeatedly used a deceased individual’s identity to unlawfully obtain over $177,000 in SSI benefits for personal gain, diverting critical resources from people who genuinely need them to meet their basic needs.,” said Christian Assaad, Special Agent-in-Charge, Denver/San Francisco Field Division, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA OIG). “We will continue to investigate those who attempt to defraud Social Security programs, and we will work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold them accountable.”

“Unlawfully obtaining Medicaid benefits—even in this case going so far as to assume the identity of a deceased child to fraudulently collect benefits—diverts limited resources from patients who truly need them,” said Special Agent in Charge Robb Breeden of the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Pacific Region. “HHS OIG, working with our law enforcement and program partners, will continue to protect the integrity of Medicaid and hold accountable anyone who exploits it.”

“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) takes all investigations into identity theft and COVID relief fraud seriously”, stated TIGTA Special Agent-in-Charge Krystofor Proev. “We would like to thank our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecuting such egregious acts in this case.”

“This 61-month prison sentence following a multi-agency investigation reflects the effectiveness of the whole-of-government approach against fraud under the leadership of VP Vance and the WH Task Force to bring criminals to justice. I applaud the work of USDA OIG and the numerous law enforcement partners who worked this case together,” said USDA Inspector General John Walk. “This ‘unknown man’ used the stolen identity of a child who died in 1977 to successfully obtain government benefits across numerous programs for 25 years beginning decades after the child’s death. Something is broken. This underscores the importance of strengthening fraud prevention measures like upfront identity verification and data analytics to stop the fraud before it happens.”

The Defendant also obtained Idaho state identification cards in 2002, 2010, and 2014. In 2022, the Defendant obtained a Star Card, again using Obregon’s birth certificate as proof of his identity and lawful presence in the United States.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-id/pr/unknown-man-sentenced-five-years-prison-using-identity-deceased-child-25-years-obtain