Ronald Dwaine Carnes, Identity Theft and Firearm Possession, Waterl…

Waterloo, Iowa – The grim reaper of the justice system has caught up with Ronald Dwaine Carnes, a 69-year-old man who slipped through the prison bars in 1973. Carnes, now hauled back into federal court, is staring down the barrel of serious charges including misuse of Social Security numbers and possession of a firearm by a felon.

According to documents filed on June 23, 2014, Carnes was convicted of Robbery with Firearms in North Carolina in November 1970. The man who has been on the lam since August 4, 1973, is now accused of living under two different identities to evade law enforcement and steal Social Security benefits.

The feds got their hooks into Carnes during a search of his Waterloo residence on April 14, 2014. They found certified copies of birth certificates for the two assumed personas, along with a handgun and ammunition – the perfect accessories for a life on the run.

Carnes appeared today in federal court in Cedar Rapids, where he was held without bond. His next appearance is scheduled for July 9, 2014, at 4:00 p.m., setting the stage for what promises to be a dramatic showdown with the law.

Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt is leading the charge against Carnes, while the Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, has been credited with the investigation. The court file, available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl, carries case number 14-mj-157.

As with any criminal case, a charge is merely an accusation and Carnes is presumed innocent until proven guilty.