Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan | Department of Justice
Today, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent was arrested by FBI agents for allegedly soliciting sex from an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl online. The announcement was made by United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., with Special Agent in Charge Cheyvoryea Gibson of the FBI's Detroit Division.
The individual arrested is Harry Marvelle Peless, III, aged 51, from Newport, Michigan. Peless, who works as a Border Patrol Agent in Michigan, reportedly began communicating with the undercover officer in September 2024 through an online messaging application.
The criminal complaint states that Peless engaged in near-daily conversations with the undercover officer, during which he sent obscene material and requested that the officer run away with him to engage in sexual activities. Evidence suggests that Peless accessed the chat account used for these communications while at work.
It is important to note that a criminal complaint is only a formal charge and does not constitute evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by the government.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Customs and Border Patrol - Office of Professional Responsibility, and Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton Brown is prosecuting the case.
