A Life Wasted

Loss of Identity

My FBI Ten Most Wanted poster listed fifty-three known aliases. Given that this was printed long before I was arrested this is by no means all the aliases that I used. Fifty-three aliases are simply the ones they knew about when that poster was put out in September 2001. I did in fact use far more aliases as I changed my name daily. This was made possible by the Fargo Electronics card printer I mentioned earlier.

The only time I usually needed identity was when I checked into a motel room for the night. Generally, when I did this I would use an identity I had never used before, which meant I would have a driver's license with that name on it as well as a company ID card that I would often have clipped to my shirt. For example, if there was a Westinghouse facility in the area I would have a Westinghouse employee ID card attached to my shirt, as if I had just got off work. I'd often use phone company cards, like AT&T and Verizon. The idea behind this was to put the clerk at ease when she saw the familiar company name, complete with the companies well known logo, which I would pull off the internet and print on the plastic ID card.

This deception gave me instant creditably and not a second look from the clerk and it often got me a company discount on the room. To complete this disguise, I often had a matching company parking sticker in my stolen vehicle's window. I believe this deception created a better disguise than anything I could do shy of plastic surgery.

Changing my name every day did have its problems. The best example of this happened at a Holiday Inn Express one night. I had purchased a pizza before renting the room, so after checking in I took my bags and the pizza into the room. I took off my shoes and shirt then got comfortable to watch TV while I ate dinner. After a few minutes I decided I wanted a Pepsi, so I went outside and walked a short distance to the soda machines to get my drink. When I returned to my room the door was locked. I searched my pockets and remembered the key card was in my shirt pocket.

Being a guy to take things in stride I returned to the front desk to ask for another key. I had only checked in ten or so minutes earlier, but there was a new guy at the desk and the young woman who checked me in was nowhere to be seen. Not good, but I could deal with it. When I walked up to the desk the guy gave me a dirty look, clearly not liking the fact that I was in the lobby barefoot and shirtless. I froze when he said, "Can I help you?" When I asked for a room key the first question he would ask is my name. The problem was that I couldn't remember my name for that day. So I said never mind and left the lobby.

By the time I reached the room I knew I was in trouble. Everything I needed was in the room. My wallet with my current driver's license, my car keys, my cash. Even my dinner. Everything. All I had was the pair of blue jeans I wore and $1.50 in change. I stood there trying to figure out a solution but the only thing I could come up with was to get the maid to open the door in the morning. I walked around the motel and found a small patch of woods off to one side. I went to the woods and settled in for the long night. The next morning, I was so happy to get into that room I tipped the maid $50.