“Man’s life turns upside down after discovering long-lost identity”
A visit to a bank in downtown Los Angeles became a turning point for William Woods, a former homeless hot dog vendor. Upon realizing that someone had fraudulently obtained loans using his identity, Mr. Woods attempted to close his account, only to end up being apprehended by police officers. This led to an unexpected 18-month prison sentence, a series of events described as surreal by authorities.
Unbeknownst to Mr. Woods, he had been a victim of identity theft spanning three decades by a man named Matthew Keirans, whom he had briefly encountered in the 1980s. Ironically, it was Mr. Woods who found himself facing identity theft charges that fateful day.
The situation quickly escalated at the bank, where Mr. Woods struggled to answer security questions, prompting a call to the police. Keirans, the real culprit, denied any involvement and sent over forged identity documents, leading to Mr. Woods’ immediate arrest.
During his time in federal prison, Mr. Woods endured solitary confinement and was later transferred to a mental health facility where he was subjected to psychiatric medication. Meanwhile, Keirans, living comfortably as a hospital administrator, escaped accountability for his actions at the expense of his unsuspecting victim.
Mr. Woods’ encounter with Keirans traces back to their brief interaction in Albuquerque in 1988, where they worked alongside each other briefly before parting ways. Despite their limited connection, Keirans managed to steal Mr. Woods’ identity, setting off a chain of events that culminated in Mr. Woods’ wrongful imprisonment.
The situation serves as a cautionary tale, highlighting the repercussions of identity theft and the lasting impact it can have on innocent individuals.
Despite leaving Mr. Woods behind at a hot dog stand decades ago, Keirans managed to obtain a copy of his birth certificate as late as 2012 using ancestry.com. Keirans gradually constructed a false identity, assuming the persona of William Woods for the next 35 years. Under this false identity, he secured a middle-class job as a hospital administrator and even married, fathering a son who bore the Woods surname.
Meanwhile, the real William Woods embarked on a different journey, leaving the hot dog cart business in the early 2000s and eventually ending up homeless in Los Angeles by 2015. Struggling with homelessness, he discovered that someone had racked up nearly $130,000 in debt under his name. This led to a legal battle where Mr. Woods vehemently asserted his innocence but was deemed mentally unfit to stand trial. Despite his protests, his case did not progress as expected.
Throughout the ordeal, Mr. Woods spent over a year confined in the Twin Towers prison, which also functions as a mental institution. He faced challenging conditions in the prison, including solitary confinement and poor hygiene standards amidst the COVID-19 outbreak. Despite his efforts to seek assistance from various authorities, Mr. Woods found it difficult to navigate the complex legal system and the conditions within the prison.
The Twin Towers prison, one of the largest jail complexes globally, presented significant challenges for both inmates and staff. The prison’s massive size and limited resources made it challenging for the staff to maintain proper conditions, leading to struggles with sanitation and prisoner well-being. Former chaplain Sam Pillsbury highlighted the tremendous difficulties faced by the staff in managing such a vast and challenging facility.
Many individuals working in the criminal justice system find themselves in survival mode, solely focused on getting through each day or shift. After spending 428 days in jail, Mr. Woods was deemed unfit to stand trial and transferred to Patton State Hospital, where he was prescribed psychotropic drugs like lithium. The Covid pandemic made life at the hospital monotonous, with limited activities and interactions due to visitor restrictions. Despite some company from other patients, Mr. Woods often found himself reflecting on his past and those responsible for his situation.
Upon his release, Mr. Woods, previously known as William Woods, was ordered to use his “true name” Matthew Keirans, but continued to assert his original identity. Living transiently, he carried minimal belongings and often slept on cardboard. A phone call from a detective in Iowa led to the unraveling of an identity theft scheme orchestrated by Keirans, who had manipulated the criminal justice system to incriminate Mr. Woods.
Following a thorough investigation, Keirans was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft. The judge remarked that Keirans had used Mr. Woods’s identity to evade his own criminal accusations, leading to the wrongful persecution of an innocent man.
Keirans’ early life was marked by turmoil and hardship, as revealed in court documents which detailed his troubled past. He was identified as a high-school dropout who resorted to stealing a car in an attempt to escape from his adoptive parents’ home in San Francisco at the tender age of 16. Embarking on a journey that spanned over 500 miles, he eventually found himself in Oregon where he was apprehended by authorities.
Nancy Zimmer, Keirans’ devoted wife of three decades, offered insight into his motivations with a poignant statement to the court. She believed that his actions were driven by a desire to create the familial bond and sense of home that had eluded him during his formative years. Despite the challenges they faced, their enduring partnership stood as a testament to the resilience and strength of their connection.
Following the legal proceedings, Mr. Woods, now residing back in Albuquerque and employed at a local barber’s shop, reflected on the culmination of events. Known for his amiable nature and infectious laughter, he bore the weight of his 56 years with a sense of grace and humor. Witnessing the sentencing of Keirans, he expressed a sense of relief that justice had been served after years of uncertainty.
In a surprising turn of events, the judge dismissed the charges against Mr. Woods in April of the previous year, likening his experience to something out of a Kafkaesque narrative. Unfazed by the complexities of his past, Mr. Woods maintained a pragmatic outlook when confronted with the truth about the deception that had defined his life for three decades.
“I told you so,” Mr. Woods remarked casually to Ian Mallory, acknowledging the inevitable unraveling of the intricate web of lies that had surrounded him for so long. As he navigated the aftermath of these revelations, he found solace in the closure that this newfound clarity brought.
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