CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. (KFVS) – Federal prosecutors say a Cape Girardeau man admitted to stealing identities in order to fraudulently apply for state benefits, tax returns and pandemic loans.
Robert Patrick, with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, says Miles B. Depew, 35, of Cape Girardeau, pleaded guilty in Federal Court to three counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Depew admitted to using stolen identities to apply for and receive $25,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans in 2020. Depew also admitted to stealing a third person’s identity to open a checking account at a West Virginia-based bank and preparing two fraudulent tax returns that triggered more than $10,000 in deposits into that account.
U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration agents interviewed Depew, who said he stole the identities of 10 to 15 people and used those to fraudulently apply for…