Jamestown Mancharged With Making False Statements To The Fbi

CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE:  (716) 843-5817
FAX #:                 (716) 551-3051

ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Tyrell Fuqua-Hayes, 38, of Jamestown, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with making false statements and representations. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years and a $250,000 fine.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany H. Lee, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in January 2015, Hayes alleged that he met a man who was arrested in another federal case while they were in custody together at the same jail.  The defendant claimed that the man provided him with contact information and advised Hayes that he would be reaching out to him.

The complaint further states that in May 2015, Hayes advised the Federal Bureau of Investigation that he was receiving text messages from the man he met in jail indicating that the man wanted to pay the defendant $5000 to kill witnesses in that man’s case. The complaint also states that Hayes later admitted he created the text messages himself and that lied about the recent conversations between the man and himself.  

The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jonathan W. Feldman and is being held pending a detention hearing.

The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force which includes the Rochester Police Department, the Monroe County Sheriff’s office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations.
 
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.