Thirty-year-old Jordan Wagner, a former Dearborn Heights resident who had been living in Guam, was recently extradited back to Michigan to face charges of sexual assault. According to the Detroit News, Wagner's extradition was facilitated through Operation Survivor Justice, a collaborative initiative between the Michigan Attorney General, county prosecutors, and the U.S. Marshals Service, designed to apprehend and return individuals with outstanding sexual assault warrants.
Wagner was arraigned on August 27 on one count of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and three counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct, which, carry a potential life sentence and 15 years, respectively. The allegations stem from a 2012 incident where Wagner is accused of assaulting a pre-teen relative during a visit to her home. The girl reported the attack in 2020, stated the WWJ Newsradio, eight years after the alleged crime occurred.
"This extradition from Guam on four-year-old assault charges shows how Operation Survivor Justice is extending the long arm of the law and reprioritizing victims of sex assaults perpetrated years ago," Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a press release, as noted by the Michigan Department of Attorney General. "By returning these fugitive defendants back to Michigan to stand trial, we are giving victims an opportunity for healing and closure, expanding our ability to hold offenders accountable, and making safer communities across the country."
Funding for extraditions has often been a challenge, but a $1 million state allocation to Operation Survivor Justice enabled agencies to bring Wagner back to the U.S. Wagner will return to court on December 4, according to online records, and in the meantime, the judge has significantly increased his bond to $500,000 and ordered Wagner to have no contact with the victim. His attorney, David Cripps, was not available for comment at the time of the Detroit News report.
