Man Living Under Assumed Name For Over 40 Years

A Newport man will e spending time in prison after living under an assumed name for over 40 yers after deserting the US Navy. His real name is Jerry Blankenship and in 1976 enlisted in the US Navy, but deserted after basic training, According to prosecutor’s it was then that Blankenship stole another man’s name and identity and moved to Newport where he has lived ever since. However, Covid-19 would change everything. Blankenship went into a local pharmacy and got his Covid vaccine. The man whose identity Blankenship stole received a notification of his covid vaccine, but that man had never taken the vaccine. That raised suspicions and Blankenship’s 40+ years of living under another man’s identity was revealed. Blankenship has been sentenced to two years in prison for one count of fraud involving a Social Security number, and one count of aggravated identity theft. After his prison time he will spend 3 yearas of supervised release. Blankenship could also find himself in front of a military tribunalk to answer for his desertion over 45 years ago.