Stephen Craig Campbell, 76, born in Stockton, is accused of taking the identity of Walter Lee Coffman, a University of Arkansas graduate who died in 1975 at 22 years old. Coffman, who was an engineering student, tragically died in a car accident just two months after graduating.
Coffman, who was known to those closest to him as "Butch," had a job lined up for himself after graduation when his life was tragically cut short, according to his aunt, Sharon Ennis.
Nearly a decade after Coffman's death, Campbell would make his first attempt at applying for government documents in his former classmate's name.
In 1995, Campbell obtained a replacement Social Security card using an Oklahoma driver's license, all in Coffman's name. The investigation that would follow, decades later, led investigators to believe Campbell received $140,000 in social security funds in Coffman's name.
By 2019, Campbell's actions led government agencies to question them after he visited the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Department, presenting fake documents to renew his driver's license under his stolen identity. After a renewed New Mexico license was issued to Campbell under Coffman's name, agents from the National Passport Center's Fraud Prevention Unit discovered Coffman's death and the suspected decades-long fraudulent use of his identity.
In 1982, he was arrested in Wyoming for allegedly planting a bomb at the residence of his estranged wife's boyfriend, which exploded. His estranged wife opened the toolbox that contained the bomb, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Mexico, and the resulting explosion caused her to lose a finger and suffer other injuries. The blast also started fires in the residence and a neighboring residential unit.
Campbell stayed under the radar until February 2025, when the case against him was enough for law enforcement to obtain arrest and search warrants for his property in Weed, New Mexico.
After his arrest, Campbell's fingerprints confirmed his true identity and the active warrant for attempted murder. A search of his property revealed 57 firearms and large amounts of ammunition, even though Campbell was prohibited from owning guns.
Ennis described "Butch" as a smart, focused young man with a promising future. "It's hard to take that this person would desecrate his name for his own gain," she said. Campbell is facing charges of misusing a passport and will remain in custody until his trial. If convicted, he could face up to 10 years in prison.
Authorities are also reviewing the evidence found at his property and may file more charges.
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