A Florida man is facing federal prison after stealing his twin brother’s identity in order to take advantage of his veteran benefits.
Authorities in Jacksonville, FL, say that 64-year-old Wayne Bowen, who has not served in the military, fraudulently used his brother’s identity for years to receive a mountain of VA benefits. In 2014, Bowen used his brother’s name, social security number, and discharge papers to trick the VA out of $32,434 in medical services. He was also able to receive $18,905 in housing assistance from HUD and $12,434 in food assistance. Bowen took things further by presenting a Florida identification card in his brother’s name during multiple arrests. He has been convicted of numerous felonies under his brother’s name.
Bowen accepted a deal, where he pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft. Under the agreement, he must pay back $63,773 to the government agencies he defrauded. He is facing a mandatory two-year prison sentence.
Bowen’s twin brother, who has not been identified, is a veteran and told investigators that he never applied for any of these benefits, nor did he know his brother was using his likeness to receive them.
