Former Customs and Border Protection Agent Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography

DETROIT - A former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent pleaded guilty today to receiving child pornography, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced.

Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The superseding information charges Harry Marvelle Peless, III, 51, of Newport, Michigan, with one count of receipt of child pornography. A violation of this offense carries a sentence of no less than 5 years' and up to 20 years' imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing has been set for June 1 at 9 am.

According to court records, law enforcement began investigating Peless after Peless sent sexual messages to an undercover officer posing as a minor. Peless began communicating with the undercover in September 2024, and his contacts with the undercover became a near daily occurrence. At the time of the offense, Peless was employed as a Marine Border Protection Agent at the Gibraltar, Michigan, CBP station. Following the filing of charges in this matter, CPB placed Peless on unpaid administrative leave. Evidence recovered during the investigation showed that Peless had reveived child pornography over the internet, and that he was logged into the chat account he used to communicate with the undercover officer while he was at the Gibraltar CBP station.

This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton Brown.