The Great Impostor: How a Man Stole Jerry LeVias's Identity for Baseball

The Imposter's Scheme

• 🎭 In February 1971, a man named Gerald Lee Levias, later identified as William Douglas Street, impersonated football player Jerry LeVias.
• ⚾ Street convinced the Detroit Tigers to give him a tryout for their baseball team by claiming to be the star Oilers wide receiver.
• 🗣️ During his tryout, the imposter publicly criticized LeVias's former football team, the Houston Oilers.

The Real Jerry LeVias's Reaction

• 📺 The actual Jerry LeVias first learned of the impersonation through a television special bulletin.
• ❓ LeVias expressed disbelief that the imposter could have pulled off the scheme and stated that the man did not resemble him.

The Imposter's Criminal Career

• 🕵️ The man's true identity was revealed as William Douglas Street, who had a history of impersonation and fraud.
• 💼 Street spent over 40 years as a career criminal, impersonating various professionals including a surgeon, lawyers, and a medical student.
• 🎬 His life story was later the basis for a film titled "Chameleon Street."
• ⚖️ In 2016, Street was sent to federal prison for identity theft and mail fraud, specifically for stealing the identity of a defense contractor.