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A federal jury has convicted a 39-year-old Minnesota man of fraudulently posing as a decorated U.S. Marine in an effort to obtain more than $140,000 in benefits.
The U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release on Friday that the jury found Michael Robin Wicker of Clay County guilty of one count each of wire fraud, mail fraud, using a false military discharge certificate and fraudulent use of military medals.
Court records show that Wicker, from 2015 through 2020, Wicker fraudulently obtained benefits from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs by claiming he was a decorated veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. He also claimed he had suffered from combat-related injuries, had been a prisoner of war during deployment in Iraq in 2005 and was given the Purple Heart medal.
Wicker supported the fraud scheme using forged documents, including a counterfeit military discharge certificate and fake medal certificates, according to court documents.
The Department of Veterans Affairs provided him more than $140,000 in healthcare, disability and education benefits as a result of the scheme, federal prosecutors said.
During a one-week trial, veterans from the group Wicker claimed to have been a part of said he never served with them.
“Agents testified that federal searches across Marine Corps, and Department of Defense databases confirmed there was no record of Wicker ever serving in the military,” federal officials said in the news release.
A sentencing date for Wicker has not yet been set.
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Nick Lentz
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