Title: Wisconsin man faces decades in prison for 36-year identity theft scheme
A Wisconsin man is facing up to 32 years in prison for a 36-year identity theft scheme that left the victim, William Woods, in jail and even a mental hospital as authorities did not believe his story.
Matthew Keirans, 58, is accused of making false statements to a National Credit Union Administration insured institution and aggravated identity theft. The victim, William Woods, discovered someone was racking up debt using his name while he was homeless in Los Angeles in 2019.
Woods tried to close the accounts that Keirans had opened in his name at a California bank, but the branch manager called the police after Woods couldn’t answer security questions. Keirans, posing as Woods, faxed police fraudulently acquired identification documents, leading to Woods’ arrest and charges of identity theft and false impersonation.
Despite repeatedly disputing the false identity imposed on him, Woods was found not mentally competent to stand trial and was sent to a state mental hospital. After spending over a year in jail and the mental hospital, Woods was released after agreeing to a no-contest plea.
Woods eventually discovered that Keirans had used his identity to get a job at the University of Iowa Hospital, earning over $100,000 a year. DNA testing confirmed Woods’ identity, leading to Keirans pleading guilty to federal charges.
The two men first met in the late 1980s and Keirans began assuming Woods’ identity in 1990. Keirans even used genealogy websites to obtain Woods’ birth certificate and continued to live under the false identity for decades.
A sentencing date for Keirans has not been set, but he spent time in jail last year on related state charges in Iowa. A hearing is scheduled in California to vacate Woods’ conviction.
The case highlights the dangers of identity theft and the lengths some individuals will go to in order to assume another person’s identity.
