KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal jury Thursday returned a guilty verdict in the case of a Junction City man who stole his father’s identity to apply for a loan to buy a $490,000 house, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said in a press release.
47-year-old Matthew Williams of Junction City was convicted on one count of bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Williams filled out a loan application with Pulaski Bank using his father’s name, Social Security number and other identifying information in an attempt to get a loan to buy a house in Shawnee. The defendant was in bankruptcy proceedings at the time.
The government presented evidence that Williams claimed to be an Army veteran and recipient of a Purple Heart award for valor in Vietnam. In fact, Williams’s father, Earl, fought in both Vietnam and Desert Storm and earned a Purple Heart, as well as other commendations.
Sentencing will be set for a later date. He faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on the bank fraud charge, and a penalty of two years consecutive to any other sentence on the identity theft charge. Grissom commended the Veterans Administration – Office of Inspector Genera, Special Agent Tim Mugrage and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.
