Skip Links
U.S. Department of State
U.S. Supports Middle East Peace Agreement  |  Daily Press Briefing | What's NewU.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of State
SEARCHU.S. Department of State
Subject IndexBookmark and Share
U.S. Department of State
HomeHot Topics, press releases, publications, info for journalists, and morepassports, visas, hotline, business support, trade, and morecountry names, regions, embassies, and morestudy abroad, Fulbright, students, teachers, history, and moreforeign service, civil servants, interns, exammission, contact us, the Secretary, org chart, biographies, and more
Video
 You are in: Under Secretary for Management > Bureau of Diplomatic Security > News from the Bureau of Diplomatic Security > Bureau of Diplomatic Security: Press Releases > 2006 
July 26, 2006

Bureau of Diplomatic Security
U.S. Department of State
Washington, DC

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 26, 2006

On July 20, 2006, U.S. Department of State Diplomatic Security Special Agents arrested Bradley Douglas Highbarger for passport fraud at his residence on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Mr. Highbarger was arrested on a felony criminal warrant based on a criminal complaint that he had committed passport fraud by fraudulently obtaining a U.S. passport under the assumed identity of Douglas Jerome Stien and then used that passport to travel internationally.

Diplomatic Security Special Agents from the San Juan Resident Office, assisted by special agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), inspectors from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Virgin Islands police officers assigned to the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, made the arrest during a raid on Mr. Highbarger’s residence. During the search of his residence, agents discovered over $20,000 in cash and other indications of illegal activities. Agents from ICE and DEA are still investigating and may pursue additional charges.

"Diplomatic Security aggressively targets passport fraud," stated Miami Field Office Special Agent in Charge Edgar Moreno. "The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands takes all cases of identity theft at the federal level very seriously, especially when illegal drugs are involved. This is a great example of interagency cooperation at the federal and local level, and I would like to commend all the agents, inspectors, and task force officers who conducted this search and arrest," stated U.S. Attorney Anthony Jenkins. "Thanks to the hard work of Diplomatic Security Special Agents and the Assistant U.S. Attorneys assigned to this case, we are sending a message to individuals who are committing passport fraud and drug trafficking that serious time in prison awaits those convicted of this crime."

Criminal complaints are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Diplomatic Security is the worldwide law enforcement and security arm of the U.S. Department of State with special agents assigned to U.S. diplomatic missions overseas and field offices throughout the United States. Diplomatic Security special agents conduct passport and visa fraud investigations worldwide and are responsible for security at 285 U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world.

Contact:
Brian Leventhal
(571) 345-2499
Cell: (202) 997-5747
leventhalbh@state.gov

Special Agent Christopher Tremann
(787) 766-5704x24
Cell: (787) 597-3068
tremannc@state.gov


  Back to top

U.S. Department of State
USA.govU.S. Department of StateUpdates  |  Frequent Questions  |  Contact Us  |  Email this Page  |  Subject Index  |  Search
The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.
About state.gov  |  Privacy Notice  |  FOIA  |  Copyright Information  |  Other U.S. Government Information

Published by the U.S. Department of State Website at http://www.state.gov maintained by the Bureau of Public Affairs.