Florida man Wayne Bowen used his estranged twin brother's ID to collect more than $72,000 in benefits meant for military veterans. The 64-year-old gentleman started the scam in 2014, stealing his brother's name, social security number, and military discharge papers "to apply for federally subsidized housing benefits intended for indigent military veterans," according to HuffPost. But after eight years, the jig is up. In January he pleaded guilty and on Tuesday he was sentenced to two years in federal prison.
From HuffPost:
A Florida man was sentenced Tuesday to two years in federal prison for using his twin brother's stolen identity to obtain tens of thousands of dollars in military veterans benefits. … He must also pay $63,773 in restitution.
Bowen admitted to federal agents that he had been using his brother's identity for years, prosecutors said. Bowen had obtained a Florida identification card using his twin's identity. He initially told the agents that he and his twin had served in and been honorably discharged from the U.S. Army but later admitted that those were lies.
Based on Bowen's fraudulent use of his brother's identity, the VA provided him with $32,434 in medical services, HUD provided him with $18,905 in housing subsidies, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture funded $12,434 in nutritional benefits for him, officials said. Bowen's twin, who lives in another state, confirmed that he didn't apply for any of the benefits and that he never gave Bowen permission to use his name.
