- Mathew David Keirans stole William Woods identity in 1988
- Mathew used Williams name for over 30 years, starting a successful career and having a child
- In 2023 Mathew Keirans was caught and now faces up to 32 years in Prison
- William Woods was arrested for False Identity and spent 2 years in Jail, and a Mental Health Institution, in California, when he tried to use his own name
In a gripping tale of deception and stolen identity spanning decades, an Iowa Hospital executive orchestrated a scheme that saw him usurp the identity of a hot dog cart vendor back in 1988, setting off a chain of events that ultimately led to a staggering $200,000 in fraudulent loans, a fabricated marriage, and the birth of a child—all under the stolen name. Meanwhile, the real victim, William Woods, found himself confined to a mental hospital as he struggled to reclaim what was rightfully his.
Matthew David Keirans, now 58, stands convicted of a litany of charges, including providing false information to a National Credit Union Administration insured institution and aggravated identity theft, facing the possibility of up to 32 years behind bars.
The elaborate ruse began when Keirans, then working alongside Woods on a hotdog stand in Albuquerque, New Mexico, seized upon an opportunity to assume Woods' identity. Under this guise, Keirans embarked on a complex web of deceit, obtaining loans of over 200,000, tying the knot, and forging a prosperous career in IT—all at the expense of the real Woods, who remained unaware of the theft for three long decades.
It wasn't until Woods, desperate to reclaim his stolen identity, contacted the University of Iowa Hospital, where Keirans was employed, triggering a police investigation that uncovered the truth. Through DNA testing, authorities confirmed the fraud, leading to Keirans' admission of guilt and subsequent arrest.
Keirans' troubled past, including a tumultuous upbringing in San Francisco and prior encounters with the law, shed light on the motivations behind his decades-long charade. With his adoptive parents deceased and a history of delinquency, Keirans' path to deception seemed almost inevitable.
He then confessed to prolonged identity theft, according to court documents, and was taken into custody on July 18 2023.
Keirans pleaded guilty to false use of birth certificate and the other charge was dropped. He was then indicted in federal court on December 12, on five counts of false statement to a National Credit Union Administration insured institution and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
He pleaded guilty to one count of each charge and the other counts were dropped.
A sentencing has not yet been scheduled, he is currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 2 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 32 years’ imprisonment, a $1.25 million fine, and five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.