The former criminal mastermind and author of the best-selling memoir, The Master Identity Thief, shares his inspiring story to educate, empower and enlighten people of all ages.
BATON ROUGE, La. – Dartanyon A. Williams is not only a self-taught serial entrepreneur but is also an astute business professional, best-selling author, and engaging professional speaker with an intriguing and unexpected past. In a surprising plot twist, in addition to his established accomplishments and accolades, Williams is a former criminal mastermind who, while in his late teens and 20s, operated a 40-person, multi-million dollar identity theft crime ring across Louisiana and neighboring states before landing himself in solitary confinement. His story is one of incredible redemption and self-discovery, as outlined in his memoir, The Master Identity Thief.
Williams recounted all his exploits in The Master Identity Thief, which is part memoir, detailing Williams’ story of redemption and part policy recommendations to help individuals, businesses, and policymakers protect themselves from identity theft. Deemed an Amazon best-seller, The Master Identity Thief also includes 60 legislative proposals that target the seven forms of identity theft in the second volume of the book.
Williams has consulted with the FBI, Secret Service, Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, Louisiana State Police, and US Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Louisiana to help their respective agencies better understand, prevent, and mitigate identity theft. The authorities were fascinated by the sophistication of his crimes and wanted a deeper insight into his methods.
In the book, Williams’ redemption story can be described in three parts: reeducation, regeneration, and rehabilitation; much like the biblical account of the Prodigal Son, Williams returns home to seek forgiveness after a spiritual awakening–and receives it. After spending years in federal prison, three consecutive years of which were spent in solitary confinement, Williams has committed himself to educate people on how to protect themselves. He is dedicated to empowering and uplifting underserved and underrepresented communities. He has paid restitution and is currently involved with philanthropic endeavors in his community.
“I write to seal my story and unveil its lessons for the sake of America and the endless toll identity theft takes,” says Williams. “I write for my children to know what I’ve been through, what I’ve learned, and how I came to discover my own identity after years of living through the countless identities that I had stolen. I write to lift the mask from the crime as a former master identity thief, with a proactive lens on consumer protection that our security and legislative systems only seem to react to.”
The ultimate goal for Williams is to show that redemption is possible for all who find themselves in dark places, how change is feasible for those who want it and how forgiveness can heal all wounds, no matter how deep they are. The Master Identity Thief is a riveting story that not only serves as a protection manual for the public but is truly an inspiring cautionary tale.
For appearances, media inquiries, or to schedule an interview with Dartanyon A. Williams, contact Jameka Whitten via email at jameka@jswmediagroup.com or by phone at 704.965.3297.
