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Ex-boss says longtime fugitive became a good man

By WTOP Staff

RYAN J. FOLEY
Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Before learning his friend was really Ronald Carnes, an armed robber who escaped from a North Carolina prison in 1973, Seattle businessman Carl Bryant knew him as Louie Vance, a trusted worker and confidant whom he had over for holidays and birthdays.

Although they “talked about life for hours on end,” his friend kept his true identity a secret from Bryant and others around him. He managed to remain free for 41 years.

Now jailed in Iowa following an April arrest, Carnes is accused of eluding the authorities by stealing the identities of two boys who died in the 1940s. Despite Carnes’ criminal past and the efforts he took to conceal it, Bryant still considers him a friend whose good works should also be remembered.

Bryant said they lost touch when Bill, the nickname Louie Vance went by, abruptly disappeared from Seattle in 2012. He was stunned to see a news report detailing how his friend was actually Carnes and had been arrested in Waterloo, Iowa, where he had been living. Bryant said he wants people to know that Carnes is an “extremely trustworthy, reliable” person who was clean for decades.

“There’s a really good side to this man that wasn’t being portrayed,” said Bryant, who’s traveling to Cedar Rapids this month to visit Carnes in jail.

When he escaped from prison, Carnes was three years into a 20-year term for robbing a convenience store clerk at gunpoint with an accomplice, prosecutors say. He now faces up to 34 years in prison on charges relating to Social Security benefits fraud, identity theft and gun possession, then the prospect of being returned to North Carolina for his earlier sentence. His trial is scheduled to begin next month.

Carnes was arrested after applying for Iowa driver’s licenses for each identity, months apart. The Department of Transportation’s facial recognition software flagged the pictures of Louie Vance and William Cox as being the same person. Agents arrested Carnes at his home, where they found a firearm, ammunition and documentation suggesting his true identity.

Prosecutors say Carnes adopted the fake personas in the 1970s and started collecting disability and retirement benefits under one name in 2005 and under both by 2009. Cox and Vance were five-year-old boys who were killed in accidents in the 1940s, investigators say.

Bryant emphasized that Carnes didn’t steal their benefits. “The money he’s drawing he paid in,” Bryant said.

Bryant hired Bill in 2002 — through a nonprofit that connects the homeless and unemployed with jobs — for a startup he owned that processed rebates for OfficeMax. Bryant submitted the required federal form for Louie Vance to verify his identity and work authorization, and he passed.

Bill became one of Bryant’s best workers, always on time and sober. He’d drive Bryant’s beat-up Ford Aerostar Van to pick up the mail to be processed. After Bryant sold the company, he sold Bill the van he would later fix up and frequently drive across the country.

Bryant said he trusted Bill so much that he let him collect money at a parking lot he owned near Safeco Field. The books always balanced.

He said Bill had no close friends or family, but they became close. He said he invited Bill over for Christmas dinners and birthday parties and that when he bought a cabin, Bill helped him clean up the property. When Bill got engaged, the Bryants hosted an engagement party. The relationship didn’t last, however.

Bryant said the two have exchanged letters since Carnes’ arrest, and they spoke by phone last week. Carnes cleared up one of Bryant’s biggest questions, explaining that he moved to Waterloo to be with a cousin who needed help.

No one else has been charged. Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Deegan wouldn’t say whether investigators are looking into whether anyone harbored Carnes.

Bryant said the only time he saw Bill referred to as Ronald was on a greeting card he once spotted in his apartment. Asked about it, Bill explained that his sister had always called him that.

“It didn’t go much further,” Bryant said. “Now, it’s way more memorable.”

___

Follow Ryan J. Foley on Twitter at https://twitter.com/rjfoley

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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