A federal jury on Friday convicted a Minnesota man of pretending to be a combat-wounded Marine and prisoner of war as part of an elaborate scheme to illegally obtain $146,287 in benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. After a week-long trial in St. Paul, jurors convicted Mikhail R. Wicker, also known as Michael Wicker, of wire and mail fraud, using a false military discharge certificate, and fraudulent use of military medals, a crime commonly known as “stolen valor.”

According to court documents, Wicker claimed to have been deployed to Iraq in 2005 with Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment where he reported having been injured and captured as a prisoner of war.

In reality, Wicker, of Dilworth, was living in Michigan two decades ago and was never in the service. Soc

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