Duquesne Pa., Man Sentenced To Probation, Fined For Possessing Fake Federal Law Enforcement Credentials

PITTSBURGH - On April 30, a resident of Duquesne, Pa., pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court on a charge of possessing imitation credentials of the U.S. Marshals Service, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

Dwight R. Spaulding, 44, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge David S. Cercone. Spaulding was immediately sentenced to one year probation and a fine of $1,000.

In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that on April 15, 2010, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents interviewed Spaulding at his home concerning a package he had received the previous day. The agents suspected the package contained false identification documents. Spaulding showed the agents his wallet, which contained a false National Security Agency (NSA) badge, a false Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) badge, and false U.S. Marshals Service credentials. Each of the false documents contained the name and photograph of Dwight Spaulding, together with other identifying information for Spaulding, and identified Spaulding as an agent or deputy.

Spaulding advised the agents that he had ordered the NSA and DEA credentials and that both credentials had been in the package he received the previous day. Spaulding told the agents that he produced the U.S. Marshals Service credentials on his home computer, and that he simply "photo shopped" his photograph and other identifying information onto the template for the credentials.

Agents made a mirror image of the hard drive of Spaulding's computer and discovered the file in which Spaulding had created the false Marshals Service credentials. Assistant U. S. Attorney Margaret E. Picking advised the Court that the Marshals Service credentials were an exact likeness of genuine Marshals Service credentials and that Spaulding was not a deputy U.S. Marshal and did not have the authority to possess Marshals Service credentials. Judge Cercone was also advised that there was no evidence that Spaulding had ever used the false credentials.

The United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Dwight Spaulding.