Maryland man pleads guilty to conspiring to possess counterfeit checks and possessing child pornography

BALTIMORE – A 52-year-old man pleaded guilty last week to conspiracy to possess a counterfeit security and possession of child pornography, following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

As part of his plea agreement, Tyrone Jackson, of Baltimore, must register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student. This must all be done under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).

Jackson faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison for the conspiracy and 10 years in prison for child pornography possession. His sentencing is scheduled for March 1, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett.

According to his plea agreement, on Dec. 30, 2010, a parcel addressed to Jackson was intercepted by CBP at Baltimore Washington International Airport. Inside the parcel were 80 envelopes containing counterfeit checks totaling $488,572.50. The next day, ICE HSI agents delivered the parcel to Jackson at his apartment. Jackson admitted that while on the internet, he had previously met a person who had posted an ad from the Philippines. Jackson had responded to the ad, agreeing to accept payment for receiving the parcel and re-mailing the checks in the envelopes contained in the parcel to the people whose names and addresses were printed on the envelopes. ICE HSI agents removed two computer hard drives and 336 pieces of removable computer media from Jackson’s apartment, in order to search for evidence related to the counterfeit checks.

Further investigation revealed that the computer hardware and media contained 327 videos and 779 photos depicting prepubescent minors under the age of 12 engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Jackson had downloaded the images from the internet.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders, and child sex traffickers.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark W. Crooks, who prosecuted the case.