Utah Man Steals Dead Man’s Identity, Swindles $100K in Government Benefits; Gets Home Detention

Utah Man Steals Dead Man’s Identity, Swindles $100K in Government Benefits; Sentenced to Home DetentionPhoto byStock Image

By Kristy Tallman, July 11, 2024

Utah Man Sentenced to Home Detention After Stealing Over $100,000 in Social Security and Other Government Benefits

SALT LAKE CITY – Melvin Roy Hunter, 71, of Salt Lake County, has been sentenced to 14 months of home detention as part of a 40-month probation period. He was also ordered to pay $105,301.30 in restitution for his involvement in a wire fraud scheme. The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart following Hunter's admission of guilt in April 2024.

Hunter's fraudulent activities spanned from September 2015 to September 2023. He assumed the identity of a deceased individual to obtain government benefits, using the deceased's birth certificate, Social Security number, and other personal information to secure a Utah driver's license. This false identity allowed Hunter to open a Wells Fargo checking account and illegally obtain funds from several U.S. government agencies.

The benefits Hunter fraudulently received came from the Social Security Administration, Medicare and Medicaid programs, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), and the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The investigation was conducted by multiple agencies, including the Social Security Administration's Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General, HUD's Office of Inspector General, the Utah Department of Workforce Services, and the State Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorney Sachiko Jepson from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.

By Kristy Tallman, July 11, 2024

The Republic News

Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Utah

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