“John Doe” Sentenced To 42 Months In Prison For Passport Fraud, Social Security Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, And Two Counts Of Voter Fraud
Defendant, whose true identity remains unknown, lived under a stolen identity for twenty years, using it to obtain a passport, Social Security card, and to vote in the 2016 Presidential Election
Baltimore, Maryland – United States District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced defendant “John Doe,” whose true identity remains unknown, to 42 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for charges of passport fraud, social security fraud, aggravated identity theft, and two counts of voter fraud.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Robert K. Hur; Special Agent in Charge Richard J. Ingram for the Washington Field Office of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; and Special Agent in Charge Michael McGill of the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, Philadelphia Field Division.
According to evidence presented at the five-day trial, beginning at an unknown time, the defendant has lived under the assumed identity of a United States Citizen born in the United States Virgin Islands.
Beginning no later than the summer of 1997, the defendant used the victim’s personally identifiable information to obtain a series of driver’s licenses and identification cards, including a Maryland state identification card and multiple Maryland driver’s licenses. Building upon these documents, the defendant also obtained a United States passport and a Social Security card, and registered to vote.
On June 21, 2015, the defendant was interviewed by Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) investigators about his passport applications and claims to be Cheyenne Moody Davis. The defendant falsely claimed to have served as a Military Police officer in the 200th Military Police Command at Fort Meade from 2005 through 2008, and told agents that he completed his military police training at Fort Knox and Fort Hood. He was unable to produce a military identification card and stated that he lost it, but during the interview showed State Department investigators military-standard dog tags bearing the name “Cheyenne M Davis,” and the real Davis’ Social Security number.
The government later learned that John Doe purchased these dog tags online, along with a number of other military-related items, including patches for the 200th Military Police Command, military police, and uniform patches bearing the name “Davis.”
A review of the contents of the defendant’s social media accounts showed that he made statements to multiple other users that he was in the U.S. Army or Army Reserve, and worked at the Fort Meade military base in Maryland. The U.S. Army 200th Military Police Command at Fort Meade confirmed that no one ever served in the U.S. Army under the name or PII of Cheyenne Moody Davis. The U.S. Army also confirmed that military police are not trained at Fort Knox or Fort Hood.
Finally, defendant John Doe voted in the 2016 Presidential Election using the stolen identity.
United States Attorney Robert K. Hur commended the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General for their work in the investigation. Mr. Hur acknowledged the assistance of the Acting United States Attorney Joycelyn Hewlett in the District of the Virgin Islands and the Howard County Police Department, and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary A. Myers and Phil Selden, who prosecuted this case.
If anyone has any information on the identity of “John Doe,” who has used the name Cheyenne Moody Davis, they are asked to e-mail the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) at DS_WFO_TIPS@state.gov (link sends e-mail).
According to DSS, John Doe is approximately 41-44 years old, 5’8”, with light brown eyes and has previously gone by the pseudonyms “Chris” or “Richie.” John Doe may be from Antigua, Barbuda, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, or Jamaica. According to evidence introduced at trial, he has a Jamaican accent. According to DSS, John Doe would have been between 20 to 25 years old when he left disappeared from his community around June of 1997. More information can be found at https://www.state.gov/m/ds/rls/274463.htm.