United States v. Doe

An unidentified man using the alias "John Doe" (defendant), whose true identity was never established and who claimed to be a Mexican citizen, repeatedly used a real victim's ('V's') name, birth date, and Social Security number over many years to obtain a Nevada driver's license and a federal I-9 employment form, causing V serious harm including license suspension, misdirected tax refunds, and wage garnishment. Doe was convicted of aggravated identity theft and argued on appeal that the government never directly proved he knew V was a real person, and that as a foreigner he may not have understood the applicable identification requirements.