Richard Warren Ralston, Identity Theft and Social Security Fraud, California 2024

A 12-count indictment was unsealed today following the arrest in Arizona of Richard Warren Ralston, 69, of Mesa, Arizona, for allegedly committing identity theft and Social Security fraud.

According to court documents, Ralston assumed the identity of a man who was born in 1948 and died in 1965, and used the deceased man's name, birthdate, and Social Security Number to apply for and collect Social Security Administration (SSA) retirement benefits.

On September 21, 2011, while living in Auburn, California, Ralston submitted an application for retirement benefits to the SSA using the deceased man's identity. For more than a decade, Ralston concealed his true identity and fraudulently obtained more than $110,000 in Social Security benefits.

Ralston's identity theft and false statements to the SSA resulted in a loss of $114,285 to the SSA, according to the indictment.

The SSA Office of Inspector General is conducting the investigation, with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Moody prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Ralston faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.

The charges against Ralston are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edca/pr/former-placer-county-resident-charged-identity-theft-and-fraudulently-obtaining-more