Two Michigan men, Mark McCracken, 34, and Derek Harrison, 36, are facing charges of evidence tampering after prosecutors say they tried to cheat a court-ordered paternity test. "The allegations in this matter are truly outrageous," said Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido, according to Detroit Free Press.
The incident allegedly occurred on September 12, when McCracken is accused of having Harrison impersonate him to submit DNA for the test, as reported by CBS News Detroit. Both men could face up to 15 years in prison if convicted due to their prior records, and the case has drawn attention for both its boldness and the county’s strict enforcement of child support laws.
Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said the accused were recorded during the procedure, which is standard in the prosecutor's office. A mother raised concern after seeing results that excluded McCracken, saying, "That’s impossible, let me see who came in. And we showed her, and she said that’s not him." McCracken and Harrison are being held at the Macomb County Jail and are awaiting their court date. Lucido said, "Innocent until proven guilty, Jess, and that’s the way it is in our system," as per FOX 2 Detroit.
