March 18, 2024

Fugitive who used dead boys’ IDs appears in court

CEDAR RAPIDS (AP) — A convicted armed robber who eluded authorities for nearly 41 years after escaping prison has appeared in court in Cedar Rapids on Social Security fraud and identity theft charges.

Federal prosecutors say 69-year-old Ronald Dwaine Carnes also faces a firearms possession charge. The charges are contained in an indictment filed Tuesday.

Carnes, who’s from Waterloo, appeared in court Thursday. He’s in custody without bond. Trial is set for Sept. 22.

Prosecutors say he spent decades underground after escaping from a now-closed prison in Huntersville, North Carolina, in August 1973.

Carnes is alleged to have lived under the identities of two 5-year-old boys who died in the 1940s.

He faces a maximum prison term of 34 years if convicted.