An internet search outed a Montgomery County man who was charged this week after allegedly living more than 20 years using the identity of a dead man, federal prosecutors said.
Jon Vincent, 44, of Lansdale, had been living under the name Nathan Laskoski since 1996 after escaping from a Texas halfway house, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Tuesday.
Authorities were alerted to the crime after a relative of Laskoski performed research on his family tree on Ancestry.com. The family member found evidence that someone was impersonating Laskoski.
Investigators determined that Vincent served a prison term in Texas but did not complete a period of supervision. Shortly after release, he obtained Laskoski's birth certificate and applied for a social security card to start a new life.
Vincent was charged with one count of social security fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
If convicted, Vincent faces a "substantial" prison sentence, three years of supervised release and a maximum fine of $500,000.