Source: Office of United States Attorneys
ALBUQUERQUE – A fugitive wanted for over four decades on attempted first-degree murder charges was apprehended in Weed, New Mexico, on February 19, 2025, following an investigation that uncovered his decades-long use of a deceased man’s identity to evade authorities and fraudulently obtain government benefits.
According to court documents, Stephen Craig Campbell, 76, allegedly assumed the identity of Walter Lee Coffman, who died in 1975 at the age of 22. Coffman had graduated from the University of Arkansas just two months before his death. University records showed Campbell attended the same institution during that period, where both he and Coffman pursued engineering degrees, suggesting a likely connection between the two.
It is alleged that Campbell first applied for a passport under Coffman’s name in 1984 and renewed it multiple times, always providing a photograph of himself and his current address.
Campbell also obtained a replacement Social Security card in Coffman’s name in 1995, using an Oklahoma driver’s license in Coffman’s name.
In approximately 2003, Campbell relocated to Weed, New Mexico where he allegedly purchased property in Coffman’s name. Campbell continued renewing the fraudulent passport under Coffman’s name in 2005 and 2015. Each time, he submitted an updated photograph and listed his current address in Weed, New Mexico.
The scheme began to unravel when, in September 2019, Campbell visited the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Department in Cloudcroft, presenting fraudulent documents to renew his driver’s license. He submitted a previously issued New Mexico driver’s license with his photograph bearing the name “Walter L Coffman,” Coffman’s birthdate, and a Weed, New Mexico address. Campbell also provided a Social Security card and a U.S. passport, both in Coffman’s name.
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.
The resulting investigation revealed that Campbell allegedly applied for and was awarded Social Security Title II Retirement Insurance Benefits under Coffman’s identity. As a result of the alleged scheme, Campbell is suspected of receiving approximately $140,000 in U.S. government funds administered by the Social Security Administration in Coffman’s name.
Investigators uncovered that Campbell was arrested in Wyoming in 1982 for attempted first degree murder. He allegedly planted an explosive device at the doorstep of his estranged wife’s boyfriend. When his wife opened the toolbox containing the bomb, it exploded, causing her to lose a finger and suffer other injuries. The blast also set fire to the residence and a neighboring unit. Campbell was reportedly released on bond in 1983 but failed to appear in court, resulting in an active warrant for Attempted First Degree Murder.
On February 14, 2025, authorities obtained warrants to arrest Campbell for and search the 44-acre property in Weed, New Mexico registered under Coffman’s name. The arrest operation involved a coordinated effort by multiple law enforcement agencies.
During the arrest, Campbell allegedly greeted law enforcement armed with a scoped rifle, positioning himself in an elevated, partially concealed spot.
After repeated orders and the deployment of flashbangs, Campbell emerged from the wood line and was detained. When recovered, the rifle was loaded with high-powered ammunition capable of piercing standard body armor and ready to fire, with the scope caps flipped open, the selector lever set to fire, and a round chambered.
After Campbell‘s arrest, agents fingerprinted him, confirming his true identity and fugitive status, including the active attempted first-degree murder warrant from Wyoming. Prior to his arrest, Campbell had remained on the United States Marshals Most Wanted List for over four decades.
A subsequent search of the property yielded 57 firearms and large quantities of ammunition. As a fugitive, Campbell is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Campbell was charged by criminal complaint with misuse of a passport and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set. If convicted of the current charge, Campbell faces up to 10 years in prison.
Law enforcement officials are conducting a thorough review of evidence collected during the execution of a search warrant at the subject’s residence. Based on these findings, investigators are evaluating the possibility of additional charges.
Following Campbell’s arrest, the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office in Green River, Wyoming, notified the U.S. Marshals and requested a detainer be placed on him in connection with the pending attempted first-degree murder charges.
Acting U.S. Attorney Holland S. Kastrin, Special Agent in Charge of the SSA OIG Jason Albers and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
This case was co-investigated by the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office and the Social Security Administration’s Office of the Inspector General. It was originally initiated by the Diplomatic Security’s El Paso Resident Office and the National Passport Center’s Fraud Prevention Unit. Enforcement assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, as well as the Otero County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Clara Nevarez Cobos.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.