Elderly Utah man sentenced after using dead person’s identity, stealing more than $100K in government benefits

SALT LAKE CITY ( ABC4 ) — An elderly man in Utah was sentenced after he used the identity of a dead person to fraudulently receive government benefits, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.

Melvin Roy Hunter, 71, of Salt Lake County, has been ordered to 14 months of home detention as part of his 40-month probation sentence. Hunter was also ordered to pay $105,301.30 in restitution.

According to the DOJ, Hunter admitted in court to wire fraud in April.

“Hunter fraudulently received government benefits from the Social Security Administration, and other government agencies, by assuming the identity of a deceased individual from September 2015 to September 2023,” a press release said.

Hunter was reportedly able to get the birth certificate and Social Security number of the dead person, as well as other personally identifiable information. Hunter was also able to falsely obtain a Utah driver’s license with the name of the deceased person.

“Hunter then used this assumed identity to fraudulently open a Wells Fargo checking account and obtain money from the United States,” the press release said.

After using the dead person’s identity, Hunter was able to fraudulently get funds from the United States Social Security Administration in addition to Medicare and Medicaid programs.

He also got money from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP program, as well as the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and funding from the federal Corona Virus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

Numerous agencies investigated the case, including the U.S. Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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