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SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — A man convicted of child sexual assault in Colorado more than a decade ago has been sentenced to federal prison on identity theft charges.
Kevin Weinreis, 50, pleaded guilty in July to using another person's name, Social Security number and birthdate to apply for a U.S. passport with his photo on it, the Spokesman-Review (http://bit.ly/2e6YEj5 ) reported.
A judge on Wednesday sentenced him to more than two years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised released.
Weinreis lived in California and then Tensed, Idaho, under the false identity, and even travelled to Panama under the name, authorities said.
In 2000, Weinreis entered an Alford plea to sexual assault in Colorado. The plea meant he didn't admit guilt but did acknowledge that the state could prove its case against him.
Weinreis said he was falsely accused of child molestation by his ex-wife during bitter divorce proceedings.
He was sentenced to six months in jail and 15 years to life of supervised released.
After serving the jail sentence, he entered a court-ordered sex offender treatment program but was dismissed because he continued to assert his innocence.
Weinreis, a house painter, became "a pariah in his community — he could not work and was shunned by lifelong friends," his court-appointed attorneys wrote in court documents.
Authorities say a friend gave Weinreis his identification, allowing him to move and live under a new name.
Weinreis' attorneys wrote that he made "a terrible choice," but noted that he had virtually no criminal history before the 2000 offense and no criminal history afterward, aside from the identity theft charges.
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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, http://www.spokesman.com
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