“My Kids Did Not Have Christmas,” ID Theft Victim Laments and Tries to Rebuild Life

The devastation of becoming an identity theft victim can run very deep. So deep that it can have a profoundly negative impact on a victim’s family. This was brought to light by a recent AP story about an Illinois trucker named Earl Robert Hood who had his identity stolen, and his commercial driver’s license suspended for four DUIs he did not commit.

Fortunately, the criminal named Danny Arnold who stole his identity — and went on a drunk driving spree — was convicted last week. But the fallout from this experience still remains for Hood, who told the AP that: “It’s not just me that it affected; it affected all four of my children, too. Because for two years, they didn’t have Christmas.”

Beyond the emotional impact that this has had on Hood’s family, the financial burdens still remain. He said he’s fallen behind on his house payments and lost his Dodge Durango and furniture he was paying for in installments. On the bright side, Hood got back his commercial driver’s license early this year. Though he has had trouble finding work, even though prosecutors gave him a letter to show prospective employers explaining he was the victim of identity theft.

We would like to applaud the AP for running this story and shining a light on just how devastating identity theft can be for a victim and his family. We wish Earl the best of luck as he works hard to rebuild his life.