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Minnesota Man Convicted in Stolen Valor Fraud Tied to Over $140,000 in VA Benefits

Jurors concluded he fabricated Marine service with forged records following a weeklong trial.

Overview

  • A federal jury found Mikhail Robin Wicker, 39, guilty of wire fraud, mail fraud, using a false military discharge certificate, and fraudulent use of military medals.
  • Prosecutors said Wicker posed for years as a decorated Marine who served in Iraq in 2005 with Lima Company and claimed the Purple Heart and Prisoner of War medals.
  • Evidence showed he submitted a counterfeit DD-214 and fake medal certificates to support VA applications for disability, healthcare, and education benefits.
  • Marine veterans testified he never served with them, and federal database checks and state records placed him in Michigan during the period he claimed to be deployed.
  • The VA paid him more than $140,000 based on the forged materials, and sentencing will be scheduled; the case was investigated by VA OIG, DCIS, SSA OIG, with assistance from HSI and Dilworth Police.