Hampton, Va. – A 58-year-old Hampton man will spend the next 61 months in prison and he has been ordered to pay back $122,134 to the government after officials say he used other people’s names to enlist in the Army and Navy and received benefits.
They say Steven Jay Perrino was enlisted in the Army for 10 years and applied for and received VA benefits under someone else’s name. Officials say he also received more than $138,000 in benefits through the Montgomery and Post 9/11 GI Bills and federal student loans and grants.
He pleaded guilty to theft of government money and aggravated ID theft in November of 2013.
Officials say in September of 2013, Diplomatic Security Investigative analysts discovered possible fraudulent passport applications. Authorities executed a search and arrested Perrino.
Court documents say he used the identities of at least five different people since 1986. They say he was able to use these identities by getting personal information and documents. He then used this information to apply for official forms of ID such as passports and driver’s licenses.
In addition to 61 months in prison, Perrino was also sentenced to three years of supervised release.
