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Fugitive Who Stole Dead Man's Identity for 40 Years Sentenced to 81 Months

Stephen Craig Campbell, 76, was sentenced to 81 months in prison for identity theft, passport fraud, and firearms offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

2 reports on this incident · first at Sep 4, 2026, 3:15 p.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Sep 1, 2026, 11:30 a.m. ETUpdated Sep 9, 2026, 8:17 p.m. ET
A fugitive who lived for more than 40 years under the stolen identity of a deceased Arkansas man was to , the U.S. Attorney's Office for the announced on September 4, 2026. The sentence was reported by townhall.com. The statutory maximum for the offenses is , according to townhall.com. Stephen Craig Campbell, 76, pleaded guilty to misuse of a passport, possession of false papers to defraud the U.S., aggravated identity theft, and being a fugitive from justice in possession of a firearm and ammunition, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. The office said Campbell became a fugitive after being accused in 1982 of attempting to murder his estranged wife's boyfriend by planting a homemade explosive device. A 1983 warrant remains outstanding in Wyoming for failure to appear on the original charge of attempted first-degree murder. Campbell assumed the identity of Walter Lee Coffman, a former classmate who died in 1975, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. He used the identity to obtain passports, a Social Security card, a New Mexico driver's license, and to fraudulently collect over $138,000 in Social Security benefits. The scheme unraveled after Campbell presented fraudulent documents to renew his driver's license in 2019, prompting an investigation by the FBI and the Social Security Administration OIG. Upon release, Campbell will serve three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.

Earlier reports

  1. Sep 4, 2026, 3:15 p.m. ETFirst report

    Fugitive Who Stole Dead Man's Identity Sentenced to 81 Months

    A fugitive who lived for more than 40 years under the stolen identity of a deceased Arkansas man was sentenced on September 4, 2026, to 81 months in prison for federal identity theft, passport fraud, and firearms offenses, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico. There is no parole in the federal system.

    Stephen Craig Campbell, 76, became a fugitive after being accused in 1982 of attempting to murder his estranged wife's boyfriend by planting a homemade explosive device at his home. The device detonated when his estranged wife opened the package, causing severe lacerations and the loss of one of her fingers. A 1983 warrant remains outstanding in Wyoming for Campbell's failure to appear on the original charge of Attempted First-Degree Murder.

    After becoming a fugitive, Campbell stole and assumed the identity of his deceased former classmate, Walter Lee Coffman, who died in 1975 at age 22. He first applied for a U.S. passport in Coffman's name in 1984, and later used the identity to obtain a replacement Social Security card, multiple passports, a New Mexico driver's license, and to purchase property in Weed, New Mexico. He also fraudulently obtained over $138,000 in Social Security Retirement Insurance Benefits beginning in 2015.

    The scheme unraveled after Campbell presented fraudulent documents to renew his driver's license in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, in September 2019. Agents from the National Passport Center's Fraud Prevention Unit discovered Coffman's 1975 death and alerted federal authorities, sparking a joint FBI and Social Security Administration OIG investigation. On February 19, 2025, FBI SWAT teams arrested Campbell after he surrendered from a wooded area; a loaded rifle and 57 firearms were recovered.

    Campbell pleaded guilty to misuse of a passport, possession of false papers to defraud the U.S., aggravated identity theft, and being a fugitive from justice in possession of a firearm and ammunition. He was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine and will serve three years of supervised release after prison.

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Sources

Revision history

  1. Version 510 Sept 2026, 00:17current

    Updated to reflect the official announcement date of September 4, 2026, and added the U.S. Attorney's Office as a source.

  2. Version 47 Sept 2026, 14:46

    Updated to include official U.S. Attorney's Office source and clarified sentencing details.

  3. Version 37 Sept 2026, 12:41

    Updated to reflect the September 4, 2026 announcement date and clarified the sentencing details.

  4. Version 26 Sept 2026, 22:20

    Updated to reflect the official announcement date of September 4, 2026, and clarified the source of the sentencing information.

  5. Version 14 Sept 2026, 19:15current

    First published.

  6. Version 16 Sept 2026, 22:15

    First published.

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