A former agent with U.S. Customs and Border Protection has pleaded guilty to receiving child pornography. Harry Marvelle Peless III, 51, of Newport, faces a possible sentence of five to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Authorities said the case began during an undercover operation in which Peless exchanged messages with an officer posing as a minor. The communication started in September 2024. At the time, Peless was assigned to the Gibraltar station in Michigan. He was suspended after the charges were revealed but remained on the agency’s payroll at the time of his arrest. Investigators said he also received child pornography over the internet and accessed the same chat account while on duty.
In a statement, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. and Jennifer Runyan of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Detroit Field Office announced the guilty plea. Sentencing is scheduled for June 1.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Detroit Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton Brown is prosecuting the case.
