Melvin Roy Hunter knew how to make the most of an opportunity. Opportunity comes in many shapes and sizes. And the key to success it to take full advantage because who knows how long the opportunity will last. For Hunter, it was eight years. Because once Hunter assumed the identity of a deceased person in September 2015, there were almost no limits to his schemes to steal from over six U.S. government benefit programs.
Hunter, who is approximately the same age as the deceased, obtained the deceased’s birth certificate, Social Security number, and other personally identifiable information. He first obtained a fraudulent Utah driver’s license in the name of the deceased. Which opened the doors to fraud. Hunter then used this assumed identity to fraudulently open a Wells Fargo checking account that he used to deposit all the fraudulently obtained government benefits.
Over the next eight years, Hunter systematically filed and received over $105,300 in fraudulent funds from the United States government departments that managed and issued the benefits for Medicare, Medicaid, Housing, SNAP, and COVID-19 relief programs. An overachiever in government benefit fraud! On July 9, 2024 Melvin Roy Hunter was ordered to 14 months’ home detention as part of a 40 months’ probation sentence. He was also ordered to pay $105,301.30 in restitution.
Great job by all the departments involved in this case, including but not limiting to the United States Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General; the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; the Utah Department of Workforce Services; and the State Bureau of Investigation. Imagine the payroll expenses for finding this fraudster!
Today’s Fraud of The Day is based on article “Elderly Utah man sentenced after using dead person’s identity, stealing more than $100K in government benefits” published by ABC News on July 9, 2024.
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. Security Administration, and other government agencies, by assuming the identity of a deceased individual from September 2015 to September 2023.
