American stole identity of former hot dog vendor for 34 years, sent him to prison for two years

Some will see it as a nod to the Romand affair, this false doctor who lied for eighteen years about his professional activities to those close to him before killing his wife, his two children and his own parents. The story of Matthew Keirans is less tragic, but just as surprising: the 58-year-old American usurped the identity of Michael Woods for 34 years, and even caused the internment of his victim in a psychiatric establishment by accusing... of usurping his identity.

He now faces 32 years in prison for "false statements" and "aggravated identity theft", while a hearing is to be held this week in California to overturn the conviction of William Woods, according to a case revealed by the newspaper The Gazette .

This blatant lie started from an ordinary hot dog stand in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1988. The two men worked alongside each other to work at the traveling fast-food restaurant, before seeing their paths separate. This year is also the last year Matthew Keirans used his real identity, according to official US records. Then in 1990, he took the name William Woods for the first time to buy a used car.

He then got into the game, using this name to get married in 1994 and have a child under this surname. He allegedly used a genealogy website to research Woods' family history in order to obtain information and obtain a copy of his former colleague's birth certificate. His life continued without too much difficulty, and he even held the position of computer scientist at the University of Iowa Hospital, with a comfortable salary: $140,000 per year.

Matthew Keirans thus obtained numerous credits under his false identity, for a total amount close to $200,000, according to the spokesperson for the Los Angeles County prosecutor's office. This is what made William Woods tick in 2019, when he learned of the existence of this debt. The latter, who had become homeless in Los Angeles, sought to close the accounts in his name by showing his social security card as well as his California identity card to the director of the agency. The latter asked security questions developed by his usurper, which he was unable to answer.

Local police then arrested William Woods, charging him with identity theft. Matthew Keirans told law enforcement that no one had access to his bank accounts with modified identity documents in good faith. And the homeless nightmare continued: he was accused of being called... Matthew Kierans, and was brought before his state's courts. The judge ruled that he was not mentally fit to stand trial and sent him to a psychiatric hospital, where he received psychotropic medication.

After 428 days in prison and 147 days in a psychiatric hospital, William Woods agreed to plead guilty and no longer use his real name. But once released, he continued his quest for the truth and filed a new complaint in Iowa, where his surname thief lives. And a few months later, an investigator found her biological father listed on her birth certificate. The DNA test proves that William Woods is indeed her son. Matthew Keirans is unmasked after 34 years of lying and is arrested.

In the liar's family, astonishment gave way to support for their loved one. The federal court received testimony describing the father as a good, kind and trustworthy father. “I believe his motivation was simple,” writes his wife, Nancy Zimmer. He wanted to create the family and home that he did not have in his youth. Those close to him also said he had a difficult childhood and ran away from home at 16. He will have to defend himself after pleading guilty to the two charges with which he is charged, while he risks 32 years in prison.