Malachi Duncan, 32, formerly of Hillsboro man was sentenced to 45 months in prison and ordered to pay restitution for student loan fraud and aggravated identity theft, both felonies, the U.S. Attorney’s Office reported.
U.S. District Judge John A. Ross handed down the sentence Nov. 21, after Duncan pleaded guilty to the charges in July. He will have to repay $57,139 to the victims, the report said.
Duncan used Demarcus Brewster’s name and information to gain admission as a full-time student during the 2013-2014 school year at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The actual Demarcus Brewster was part of the scheme and previously was sentenced in the case. By using Brewster’s name, Duncan was able to obtain financial aid, student housing and on-campus employment, the office reported.
Duncan was arrested in March, several months after he was charged in connection with the case, in Memphis, Tenn., where he also used false information about his identity to attend the University of Memphis, the report said.
Assistant U.S. attorney Jennifer Roy handled the case, which was investigated by the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Department of Education, the Office of the Inspector General/Social Security Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the Hillsboro Police Department, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and the Jefferson College Campus Police Department.
In June 2016, the real Demarcus Brewster pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit student loan fraud, and in September 2016, Ross sentenced him to seven months in prison and ordered him to pay restitution to the U.S. Department of Education.