Las Cruces Man Charged with Unlawful Production of Counterfeit Law Enforcement Credentials

ALBUQUERQUE—A federal grand jury sitting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, has indicted Richard A. Stack, 70, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, for unlawfully producing false identification documents. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales, Special Agent in Charge Carol K.O. Lee of the Albuquerque Division of the FBI, and Resident Agent in Charge Richard Ferretti of Albuquerque Resident Office of the U.S. Secret Service.

The three-count indictment, which was filed on January 23, 2013, alleges that Stack unlawfully produced fraudulent law enforcement identification credentials that appeared to be issued by and under the authority of the U.S. government. Stack is charged with unlawfully producing counterfeit Federal Air Marshal identification credentials on January 6, 2012, and counterfeit U.S. Secret Service identification credentials on January 9, 2012, and March 14, 2012.

An arraignment date for Stack has yet to be scheduled.

“Counterfeit law enforcement credentials can be used by criminals, terrorists, and spies for illegal purposes, including penetrating our nation’s most secure government buildings, airports, and other facilities,” said Special Agent in Charge Lee of the FBI. “I would like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Secret Service for their assistance in this investigation. The FBI will continue to work aggressively with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute those who put our national security and public safety at risk by making fake law enforcement badges and credentials available to those who might seek to abuse them.”

“Richard Stack allegedly manufactured and sold counterfeit law enforcement credentials to an undercover U.S. Secret Service Agent,” said Resident Agent in Charge Ferretti of the U.S. Secret Service. “These fake credentials could have allowed an unauthorized subject to gain access to federally protected facilities or aircraft and thus erode the public’s trust in law enforcement. We therefore must ensure that individuals like Stack are prosecuted and held accountable for their actions, if convicted.”

If convicted, Stack faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the three charges in the indictment. Charges in indictments are merely accusations. All criminal defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon K. Stanford is prosecuting the case. The investigation was conducted by the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI and the Albuquerque Resident Office of the U.S. Secret Service. They were assisted by the New South Wales Police in Australia, the Boston Division of the FBI, the Norfolk Resident Office of the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration in Dallas (Texas), and the Austin (Texas) Police Department.