Fresno man lived under identity of dead child for 40 years. Here are the details
A former New Yorker, who stole the identity of a deceased child 40 years ago and relocated to Fresno, pleaded guilty this week to passport fraud.
Kenneth Laitman, aka John Rodman, 79, worked as a stockbroker in New York during the mid-1980s. For some unknown reason, he moved to California in 1984 and began using the name, John Rodman.
According to court documents, Rodman died in 1950 at the age of four.
With a new identity, Laitman was able to get various forms of identification, worked different jobs, opened bank accounts, and received government benefits, according the federal indictment. At one point, Laitman worked at an endoscopy practice.
His downfall came in 2014 when he tried to renew his passport using Rodman’s name, date of birth and social security number.
Laitman is charged with fraudulently attempting to renew his phony passport.
He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. He is due to be sentenced on April 29.
This case was investigated by the Diplomatic Security Service, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.
This story was originally published January 17, 2024 at 3:28 PM.
