Stephen Craig Campbell, a fugitive who adopted the stolen identity of a deceased Arkansas college graduate and lived under that assumed persona for more than 40 years, has pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges including fraud, passport misuse, and aggravated identity theft, federal authorities announced.
Background
Campbell assumed the identity of Walter Lee Coffman, who died in a car accident in 1975 at age 22, shortly after graduating from the University of Arkansas with an engineering degree. Campbell, originally from Stockton, California, had attended the University of Arkansas during the same period as Coffman.
The elaborate scheme began in 1984 when Campbell first applied for a U.S. passport under Coffman's name. He continued renewing that passport multiple times through at least 2015, using his own address and photograph while maintaining Coffman's identity. In 1995, he obtained a Social Security card in Coffman's name by contacting the Social Security Administration to have records of Coffman's death removed from the system before applying.
Throughout those decades living under the stolen identity, Campbell successfully evaded law enforcement on an outstanding 1983 warrant issued in Wyoming for failing to appear in court on an attempted murder charge. He had been placed on the U.S. Marshals' "Most Wanted" list as a fugitive.
"If this were to happen today, the likelihood of someone being able to go 40 years from today to evade law enforcement, I say that opportunity or that chance is slim to none," said Raul Bujanda, special agent in charge of the FBI Albuquerque office, noting how technological limitations at the time allowed Campbell's scheme to persist.
The Charges
Campbell was arrested on Feb. 19, 2025, during a raid on his residence in Weed, New Mexico. When law enforcement executed the search warrant, he initially confronted officers with a loaded rifle before eventually surrendering "after repeated commands," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for New Mexico.
A subsequent search of the property yielded 57 firearms and a large quantity of ammunition. Campbell has pleaded guilty to misuse of a passport, possession of false documents to defraud the United States, aggravated identity theft, and possessing a firearm and ammunition as a fugitive of justice.
Federal prosecutors allege that starting in 2015, Campbell began applying for retirement insurance benefits under Coffman's identity, receiving approximately $140,000 in government funds through the fraudulent Social Security card. He also purchased property in Weed, New Mexico, in Coffman's name and renewed his New Mexico driver's license using the stolen identity as recently as 2019.
Additionally, authorities allege Campbell planted an explosive device at his estranged wife's boyfriend's residence in 1982. When the wife opened it, the device detonated, causing her to lose a finger and suffer additional injuries. The explosion also sparked a fire that damaged both the boyfriend's home and a neighbor's property.
Key Takeaways
- Campbell, 73, lived as Walter Lee Coffman for over four decades after stealing the identity of a college graduate who died in 1975 at age 22
- He evaded capture on an outstanding Wyoming warrant for attempted murder for more than 40 years while on the U.S. Marshals' "Most Wanted" list
- Investigators believe he received approximately $140,000 in fraudulent government benefits using Coffman's identity
- A search of his New Mexico home revealed 57 firearms and extensive ammunition stockpiled at the residence
- He is expected to be sentenced to 12 years in federal prison
What's Next
Campbell awaits sentencing in federal court in New Mexico. While prosecutors have indicated an expected sentence of 12 years, the final determination will be made by a judge at his sentencing hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.
The case highlights how technological limitations in earlier decades allowed Campbell to exploit gaps between government databases for such an extended period. FBI officials noted that modern identification verification systems would make such a prolonged evasion far more difficult to accomplish.