Arrest at the Bank
In 2019, a man identifying himself as William Woods walked into a bank in Los Angeles to find out why loans had been taken out in his name without his knowledge. His debt had reached a substantial amount, and he wanted to understand where it came from. However, when the bank employee asked him a few verification questions, some of his answers did not fully match the information in the system.
To clarify the situation, the bank employee called the phone number listed in the borrower's records. The person who answered provided copies of documents in the name of William Woods and confirmed receiving the loans. As a result, the bank decided to call the police, and the man in the bank was arrested.
At first glance, the situation seemed straightforward: the police had detained someone attempting to impersonate another person. But the truth turned out to be far more complicated.
Trial and Psychiatric Hospital
After his arrest, the man insisted that he was the real William Woods and had become a victim of fraud. However, the prosecution claimed that his real name was Matthew Cairns and that all his statements about identity theft were "nothing more than delusions."
During court hearings, the defendant occasionally spoke incoherently, which led the judge to order a psychiatric evaluation. He spent 147 days in a psychiatric hospital before being declared sane and, in 2021, was sentenced to two years in prison for fraud. Since he had already spent a significant amount of time behind bars, he was released but was prohibited from using the name William Woods.
By the University of Iowa Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa.
Despite the court ruling, he continued to insist that he was actually Woods and that his identity had been stolen many years ago.
How Woods' Identity Was Stolen
The story began back in 1988 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The real William Woods was working at a small hot dog stand alongside his colleague, Matthew Cairns.
One day, Woods lost his wallet, but it was returned to him sometime later. Around the same time, his colleague stopped using his real documents. Two years later, in 1990, Cairns obtained a driver's license under Woods' name and completely assumed his identity.
Under a stolen name, he started a new life: he moved to Wisconsin, got married, named his son "William Woods Jr.," and secured a job as a system administrator at the University of Iowa. He took out loans and accumulated debts exceeding $200,000.
The image presented as court evidence shows Matthew Cairns, who lived under the name William Woods for 36 years.
The real Woods lived in poverty during this time, wandering and sometimes even experiencing homelessness. His attempts to reclaim his identity were unsuccessful. Moreover, when he tried to explain his situation, people considered him insane.
DNA Test
At one point, he claimed that he had foreseen the September 11, 2001, attacks and had tried to warn the FBI. Of course, no one believed him.
Over time, he resigned himself to the fact that he would never be able to prove he was the real William Woods. That was until 2023, when a detective named Ian Mallory from the University of Iowa Police took an interest in the case.
Finding the document situation suspicious, Mallory decided to conduct a DNA test. The results confirmed that the man accused of fraud was indeed William Woods.
When police presented Matthew Cairns with undeniable evidence of his deception, he finally confessed to everything.
Matthew Cairns.
12 Years in Prison for a Stolen Identity
In January 2025, 58-year-old Cairns was sentenced to 12 years in prison for identity theft, fraud, and document forgery.
The real William Woods, now 56 years old, is still trying to restore his reputation. He plans to sue the California authorities for wrongfully imprisoning him and sending him to a psychiatric hospital while the real criminal continued living his life undisturbed.
William Woods.
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