US man stole colleague’s identity for 30 years, victim imprisoned and forced into mental hospital

A federal appeals court in the United States has upheld the 12-year prison sentence of Matthew David Keirans, who was convicted of stealing a coworker’s identity and living under it for more than 30 years. The ruling came after Keirans challenged his 144-month sentence and the terms of his supervised release, arguing that they were unreasonable.

According to a report by , the appeals court rejected his claims on April 23, maintaining the original sentence handed down for what has been described as a decades-long fraud.

The case dates back to the late 1980s when Keirans and William Woods worked together at a hotdog cart in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Woods has stated that in 1988, Keirans stole his wallet and used the personal information from his Social Security card to assume his identity.

Following this, Keirans effectively disappeared from official records under his real name. By 1990, he had begun living publicly as William Woods—a false identity he maintained for over three decades.

During this period, he built a life under the stolen identity. He got married, raised a child, and worked at the University of Iowa Hospital. Authorities said he also used Woods’ identity to access financial credit and secure loans.

The case took a dramatic turn in 2019 when William Woods attempted to reclaim his identity. According to reports, Keirans convinced law enforcement that Woods was the impersonator.

As a result, Woods was arrested and spent 428 days in jail. He was also confined to a state mental hospital for 147 days, where he was forcibly medicated. Court records indicate that he was instructed to use the name “Matthew Keirans,” which authorities at the time believed to be his real identity.

After his release, Woods continued efforts to prove his identity. The breakthrough came when a detective tracked down the biological father listed on Woods’ birth certificate and conducted a DNA test, confirming Woods’ identity.

In July 2023, investigators confronted Keirans with the evidence. At that point, he admitted to using Woods’ identity for decades, creating false documents, and misleading law enforcement authorities.

A three-judge panel at the US Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit found no abuse of discretion in the original sentencing. The court noted that Keirans had concealed his real identity for over 30 years, including from his own family, and had given his child the surname of his victim.

The court also upheld the conditions of supervised release, rejecting Keirans’ argument that they were excessive.

While identity theft cases are not uncommon, the duration and consequences of this case have drawn attention. The fact that the impersonation went undetected for decades—and resulted in the victim’s wrongful incarceration and institutionalisation—has raised concerns about verification systems and law enforcement processes.

The case underscores how prolonged identity fraud can affect not only financial records but also legal identity, with severe consequences for victims.