MN Man Who Pretended To Be Iraq War Vet And Purple Heart Recipient Convicted Of Stolen Valor

CLAY COUNTY, MN — A Clay County man was convicted in federal court of spending years pretending to be a decorated U.S. Marine and using forged military records to steal more than $140,000 in veterans' benefits, according to prosecutors.

A jury found 39-year-old Mikhail Robin Wicker guilty on all counts after a weeklong trial. Prosecutors said Wicker falsely claimed he deployed to Iraq with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marines, and said he earned both the Purple Heart and the Prisoner of War Medal.

According to federal court filings, he never served in any branch of the military.

Evidence presented at trial showed Wicker supported the scheme using a forged DD-214 and counterfeit medal certificates that he repeatedly submitted to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Relying on those documents, the VA awarded him disability payments, vocational rehabilitation assistance, and health care benefits totaling more than $140,000.

Investigators testified that searches of Marine Corps, Defense Department, and National Archives databases turned up no record of Wicker ever enlisting or deploying. Marine veterans from Lima Company also testified that Wicker never served with them. Employment, wage, and court records placed Wicker in Michigan during the years he claimed to be overseas.

Prosecutors said Wicker continued the scheme for years, even contacting real Marines through Facebook to gain credibility and request letters to support his VA claims. The VA terminated his benefits in 2020 after identifying discrepancies in his records.

Wicker was convicted of wire fraud, mail fraud, using a false military discharge certificate, and fraudulent use of military medals. A sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey M. Bryan will be scheduled at a later date.

The case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, with help from Homeland Security Investigations and the Dilworth Police Department.