78-year-old man sent to prison for stealing Vietnam veteran's identity to obtain $860K in federal benefits over 25 years
May 15-A federal judge sentenced a 78-year-old man to 2 1/2 years in prison for a fraudulent scheme spanning more than 25 years where he stole a Vietnam War veteran's identity to obtain Veterans Affairs benefits even after the Marine Corps veteran died in 2018.
Raymond K. Musgrove must also pay the U.S. over $1 million in restitution as part of his sentence, according to an Eastern Washington U.S. Attorney's Office news release.
"Mr. Musgrove carried out a calculated and deeply troubling fraud for decades, exploiting the identity of a military veteran to steal over a million dollars in benefits intended for those who have honorably served our country," First Assistant U.S. Attorney Pete Serrano said in the release. "This sentence reflects the seriousness of his conduct and underscores our commitment to protecting public resources and holding accountable those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain."
Musgrove pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud, two counts of false representation of a Social Security number and one count of theft of government funds. He was also found guilty at a bench trial of three counts of aggravated identity theft stemming from a decades-long scheme in which he impersonated a real Vietnam veteran to unlawfully obtain government benefits and services, the release said.
Beginning as early as 1997, Musgrove assumed the identity of the Marine Corps veteran, identified in court documents as J.M.C., the release said.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Van Marter declined to release the name of the veteran at the request of the veteran's family and its privacy.
While posing as the veteran, Musgrove obtained VA compensation benefits, received VA healthcare services, opened financial accounts using the victim's identity and submitted false statements and documentation to maintain and reinstate benefits.
Even after the veteran died in 2018, Musgrove continued the scheme by falsely claiming the death had been reported in error and persuaded agencies to resume benefit payments. The fraud continued until 2023 when his attempts to obtain additional benefits led to the discovery of the scheme.
Musgrove fraudulently obtained more than $860,000 in federal benefits, contributing to the total restitution amount of a little over $1 million ordered in the case.
U.S. District Court Judge Rebecca Pennell, who handed down the sentence last week, also ordered Musgrove to serve three years of supervised release. Pennell said Musgrove was "living a lie for decades."
"Your offense conduct was lengthy and very troubling," Pennell said. "I don't think it can be fairly characterized as just a mistake."
The case was investigated by the U.S. Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Frieda K. Zimmerman of the Eastern District of Washington.
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This story was originally published May 15, 2026 at 11:44 PM.