Jury convicts unknown man accused of collecting nearly $300K using dead child’s identity

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) — A federal jury in Pocatello has convicted a man whose true identity remains unknown after prosecutors say he spent more than two decades using the identity of a deceased teenager to fraudulently obtain nearly $300,000 in government benefits.

Following a three-day trial, the jury found the man guilty of wire fraud, theft of government funds, aggravated identity theft, and related charges. U.S. District Judge David C. Nye presided over the trial, which concluded May 21.

According to court records and evidence presented during the trial, Carlos Ramon Obregon was born in Los Angeles in 1963 and died in 1977 at the age of 14 after being shot in a drive-by shooting.

Prosecutors say the defendant applied for a replacement Social Security card in 2000 using Obregon’s Social Security number, birth date, and parents’ names, more than 20 years after the boy’s death.

During the trial, Obregon’s mother testified that her son died in 1977 and told jurors the defendant was not her son and that she did not know him.

The unknown man also obtained a U.S passport under the deceased's name and an Idaho state identification card, most recently a star card using Obregon's birth certificate as proof of identity that was submitted to the Idaho Transportation Department.

Federal prosecutors say the defendant used Obregon’s identity for more than two decades to fraudulently apply for, and receive, $177,000 in Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, $91,000 in Medicaid benefits, $12,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and $3,200 in Economic Impact Payments during the COVID-19 pandemic to stimulate the economy.

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, the man's true identity is still unknown.