Anderson identity thief to face federal charges
ANDERSON — Accused of both mail and identity theft as well as other charges after his arrest last May, an Anderson man has been arrested again, but is now facing federal prosecution and has been transferred into federal custody.
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William Ashley was arrested Nov. 20, after a months-long investigation into mail and identity theft. APD photo
The alleged suspect, identified by Anderson PD as 37-year-old William Ashley, had previously complained that APD officials were taking their investigation “too seriously.” However, his countless victims would likely disagree.
As part of their ongoing investigation into Ashley’s arrest earlier this year after APD officers found him to be in possession of mail belonging to almost 100 different victims, officers learned that Ashley had stolen several of those and other victims’ identities, using the victims’ names and identities to steal money and open fraudulent credit accounts in their names.
Based on their extensive, months-long investigation, Anderson police officers arrested Ashley on a federal warrant for aggravated identity theft and bank fraud Tuesday, Nov. 20.
“APD Officers worked with US Postal Investigators on the case and were able to develop an investigation that was adopted by the US Attorneys Office for federal prosecution,” APD said after Ashley’s arrest.
After his arrest, Ashely was transferred into federal custody in Sacramento, where he remains.
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Trevor Montgomery, 47, moved last year to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source and Shasta County News Source. Additionally, he writes for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers, Valley News, The Valley Chronicle, and Anza Valley Outlook; as well as Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County and Mountain Echo in Shasta County.
Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)
During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.
Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.
Trevor has been married for more than 28 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 15 – but soon to be 16 – grandchildren.