Cedar Rapids, Iowa ? A former resident of Cedar Rapids man is facing a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison, a $1.25 million fine and 15 years supervised release after his prison term for using a fraudulent Social Security number in Cedar Rapids.

Michael E. Kowal, 62, pleaded guilty on Dec. 22 in federal court in Cedar Rapids to one count of making false statements to the commissioner of Social Security and four counts of using a fraudulent Social Security number.

Kowal has used aliases such as “Michael William Tipton”, “Larry William Tipton” and “William Bloom” in Kansas, California and Iowa over the past 17 years, according to court records.

In 1989, court records show, Kowal stole the identity of Larry William Tipton, a native of Kansas who was born in the same year as Kowal but who died in Kansas in 1949 at age 5.

Kowal stole the identity to avoid prosecution for theft charges in Arizona.

In 1989, Kowal was charged with unlawfully attempting to obtain a U.S. passport in Tipton’s name.

After that, Kowal he used the name “William Bloom,” and in 1998, he was charged under that name with theft in San Diego County, California. Those charges are still pending.

Kowal went under Tipton’s name in Cedar Rapids from about 2004 until the middle of 2005, when his identity was discovered.