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    • Man convicted after 40 years on the run lived peacefully around Dover
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    Man convicted after 40 years on the run lived peacefully around Dover

    Umito Posted on

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    For about four decades, Arnaldo Figueroa lived an unassuming life in central Delaware — except Figueroa was dead.

    In fact, he died as a child and the man who assumed his identity, married and lived what appears to have been a peaceful life was actually his brother, who was on the run from the law for 40 years.

    In September, the court ended its long-running prosecution of Jose Romero after he was convicted in federal court of impersonating his brother. The 68-year-old has been jailed since 2019 after being caught by Dover police and returned to South Carolina.

    That’s where he began running from the law decades ago.

    How he got to Delaware

    In 1977, he was arrested for robbing a bank in South Carolina, later convicted and sentenced to 18 years in prison. But in December 1979, he left a work crew and would not be seen again for 40 years.

    In court records, his public defender described his existence in Delaware as “law-abiding.”

    He was never legally married but had a 22-year relationship with a woman he loved, according to court documents.

    “Their union was anything but a marriage and produced two children,” David Pugh, her public defender, wrote in court papers.

    Her partner died in 2005 of a heart attack. Aside from being a fugitive, Pugh wrote that his client lived a normal life for nearly 50 years. In court documents, Pugh calls his client Mr. Figueroa, originally his brother’s name. Pugh did not respond to requests for comment for this story.

    “Mr. Figueroa worked, loved and lost,” Pugh wrote in court records.

    Three days after Christmas 2019, Dover police encountered Romero while responding to a complaint of loitering at a local convenience store. In court documents, the officer wrote that Romero stood outside the store for nearly two hours, which he said was “not normal behavior for a law-abiding citizen.”

    The officer wrote that Romero appeared drunk and had an open can of beer next to him. A blood alcohol test confirmed his intoxication, according to court documents. The officer wrote that the store owner said that despite being ordered to leave, Romero was often in the store, loitering and sleeping, according to court documents.

    When the officer arrested him, Romero presented identification in his brother’s name and signed documents with his brother’s name. He was released.

    The vagrancy charges were eventually dropped, but his fingerprints eventually identified him.

    ORDERED: After 40 years on the run, South Carolina fugitive Jose Romero arrested in Dover

    A few days later, authorities were alerted to his true identity and fugitive status. Three days later, he was spotted by Dover police walking near White Oak Road in Dover and arrested again.

    He was sent back to South Carolina to serve the remainder of his sentence for bank robbery, which authorities estimated to be about seven years.

    But the law was not satisfied.

    An identity discovered

    The ensuing investigation also revealed that for nearly two decades he had collected disability benefits for which he was medically eligible, but which he received using his brother’s name and identification.

    To apply for such benefits, you obviously cannot use another person’s identity documents and they must also certify that they are not a fugitive. Over 19 years, he received $200,000 in benefits that his health allowed him to do, but that his real identity did not, according to court documents.

    Federal prosecutors charged him with identity theft and wire fraud. He ultimately pleaded guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced in September.

    A “life simply lived”

    In court filings, federal prosecutors argued for the maximum sentence recommended under the relevant guidelines: two years to be served after he completes his remaining sentence in South Carolina. They wrote that the “need to promote respect for the law” demands severe sanctions.

    Pugh, his lawyer, argued that his client is aware that the fact that he is medically qualified to receive such benefits does not excuse his conduct. However, he argued that his client’s deteriorating age and health mitigates the risk of a longer sentence and also means he is less likely to reoffend.

    He also highlighted his time in Delaware.

    “For nearly half a century since his last conviction, Mr. Figueroa has simply lived his life,” Pugh wrote, arguing for a sentence to run concurrently with the remainder of his sentence for bank robbery. “Most importantly, he lived this life within the law. »

    Ultimately, Judge Richard Andrews sentenced Romero to one year and three months in prison from the end of his sentence for bank robbery. He was also ordered to repay the $200,000 the law considers ill-gotten.

    And even though the law forced him to receive medical benefits for which his condition was eligible, it appears to have shown him some mercy in South Carolina.

    Court records indicate he received no additional prison time for his escape decades ago. Prison records indicate he will be eligible for parole in the coming years and will be released in his early 70s.

    Contact Xerxes Wilson at (302) 324-2787 or [email protected].

    Umito
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