Howard D. Farley, Jr. Fugitive Pleads Guilty To Fraud Charges, Florida 2023

Ocala, Florida

Howard D. Farley, Jr., a 72-year-old man from Weirsdale, has pleaded guilty to passport fraud, aggravated identity theft, and operating as a pilot without a legitimate airman’s certificate. This plea deal marks a significant turn of events for Farley, who has been on the run for decades.

According to the plea agreement, Farley admitted to using the identity of a deceased person to obtain a United States passport and an Airman’s Certificate (pilot’s license). He also admitted to operating as an airman using the fraudulently obtained certificate between January 4, 2016, and his arrest by federal authorities on November 28, 2020.

The case against Farley has been ongoing for several years, with other court documents establishing that he used the identity of a deceased infant for over 35 years to avoid apprehension in the District of Nebraska. In 1985, Farley was indicted with a narcotics conspiracy charge, which was dismissed in 2014.

Farley faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled. As part of the agreement, Farley also agreed to forfeit a firearm and ammunition in his home, as well as an aircraft that was seized by the Department of Homeland Security.

The case was investigated by the Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, the Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations Division, and with support from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Felicetta.

Howard D. Farley, Jr., 72, of Weirsdale, Florida, has pleaded guilty to passport fraud, aggravated identity theft, and operating as a pilot without a legitimate airman’s certificate. Farley faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.

Farley's case is a testament to the lengths to which individuals will go to evade the law. His use of a deceased person’s identity for over 35 years is a shocking example of the extent of his deception.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/pr/nebraska-fugitive-pleads-guilty-fraud-charges