Alex Hayden Matthews, 29, of Hot Springs, Arkansas, was convicted Tuesday, March 5, 2024, for the offense of Financial Identity Theft, a Class C felony. Matthews was sentenced to a term of 10 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections with an additional five years suspended imposition of sentence and $5,404.50 in restitution, fines and costs.
On August 14, 2023, Matthews used forged identity records of an individual from California to purchase a used vehicle from Southwest Ford Lincoln in Arkadelphia. Matthews presented a forged drivers license and additional fraudulent documents to complete financing paperwork for a 2023 Ford Bronco Sport.
Following the fraudulent purchase, the victim in California received a Notice of Adverse Action alerting them of the identity theft. On August 23, 2023, the victim contacted Arkadelphia Police Department to report the incident, which resulted in further investigation by Lt. Dustin O’Brien with APD’s Criminal Investigation Division.
O’Brien notified Southwest Auto of the fraudulent purchase, and Southwest Auto was able to track the vehicle using its on-board GPS program. The vehicle was located at a hotel in Malvern, Arkansas, where O’Brien coordinated with law enforcement officials in Malvern to take Matthews into custody. Law enforcement was able to return the vehicle to Southwest Auto, where it was returned to the custody of the dealership.
Restitution of $500 was ordered for the victim as well as an additional restitution amount of $3,564.50 payable to Southwest Auto.
Prosecuting Attorney Dan Turner noted that the conviction was the result of the quick action and cooperative efforts of law enforcement and Southwest Auto. “The conviction in this case might not have been possible without the quick and thorough response of Lt. O’Brien and the assistance of Ashton Heath of Southwest Auto in assisting the Arkadelphia Police Department in locating the stolen vehicle,” Turner said. “This also is a good example of the necessity of consumers to immediately report suspected fraud or scams.”
Turner added that this is National Consumer Protection Awareness week. “I am proud that we were able to secure a conviction for the fraudulent conduct in this case,” he said. “It is incredibly difficult to investigate and successfully prosecute consumer fraud and the efforts of law enforcement and the victims in this case are what made this conviction possible.”
Turner noted that the investigation revealed that Matthews had a prior conviction for similar conduct and apparently had items in his possession that suggested that he could have committed further fraud or scams at the time of his arrest.
The Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s office will be hosting events to help inform and educate consumers about common consumer frauds and steps to protect and report fraudulent schemes. The events are scheduled around Clark County this week as part of National Consumer Protection Week.
- Caddo Valley at Caddo Valley City Hall, 137 Malvern Road, Caddo Valley, Arkansas on Thursday, March 7, 2024 from 9:00 am to 10:00 am
- Arkadelphia at Arkadelphia Town Hall, 700 Clay Street, Arkadelphia, Arkansas on Thursday, March 7, 2024 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
- Amity at the Amity City Hall, 121 E. Thompson Street, Amity, Arkansas on Friday, March 8, 2024 from 9:00 am to 10:00 am
- Gurdon at the Gurdon City Hall, 103 E. Maple Street, Gurdon, Arkansas on Friday, March 8, 2024 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Following formal sentencing, Matthews was immediately remanded to the custody of Sheriff Jason Watson for transport to the Arkansas Department of Corrections.
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