A 29-year-old registered sex offender from Oregon is accused of posing as a homeless 17-year-old girl in an attempt to enroll at Maple Grove High School, after a staff member grew suspicious and called police. Makayla Ray Craig now faces three felony forgery charges, including two counts of aggravated forgery, in connection with the alleged scheme.
According to FOX 9, a Maple Grove High School staff member contacted police on Oct. 19 after becoming concerned about an enrollment applicant. Craig allegedly submitted paperwork under the name Molly Lennox Fox, claiming to be a homeless 17-year-old from Oregon with no identification documents, according to Bring Me The News, which reported that Craig claimed homeless status under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. Craig completed both an enrollment form and an authorized temporary occupancy form, per the outlet's review of the criminal complaint.
Because the applicant lacked identification, the school placed Craig in an online program rather than enrolling her in in-person classes, FOX 9 reported. Craig was never on campus at any point, according to the complaint cited by Bring Me The News. Craig reportedly told investigators that she had never attended high school and wanted to attend in person to “get the full experience,” and had found sobriety and wanted to start school for that reason, per the complaint.
Staff Member Grew Suspicious Before Meeting in Person
Before meeting school staff face to face, Craig allegedly warned them that she looked older than 17, according to the complaint referenced by both FOX 9 and Bring Me The News. The complaint also states Craig expressed concern about being mistaken for Makayla Ray Craig, a registered Oregon sex offender — the same name under which she was ultimately charged. The Maple Grove Police Department credited school district staff for their alertness, saying they quickly notified a school resource officer and collaborated in the investigation, per Bring Me The News.
Court documents say Craig was convicted of an offense in Oregon in May 2023 in which the victim appeared to have been a minor, requiring her to register as a sex offender, according to FOX 9. Patch reports Craig has been out of compliance with Oregon's registration requirements since October 2025. Craig remains in Hennepin County custody, with bail set at $50,000, the same report states.
A Pattern Dating Back to an Oregon High School
The Maple Grove case echoes an earlier Oregon incident, in which Craig — then reported as 27 — allegedly posed as a 15-year-old girl and registered for South Albany High School, according to KEZI. In that case, members of a social services program at the high school thought Craig appeared to be an adult and notified police, and she was ultimately charged with second-degree forgery, computer crime and false swearing. Craig pleaded guilty and was sentenced on April 4 to 20 days in the Linn County Jail, according to a separate KEZI report on the sentencing, and was placed on 24 months of bench probation with conditions barring her from coming within 500 feet of a school attended by minors.
The Minnesota case is not the only recent instance of an adult allegedly posing as a student in the Twin Cities area. FOX 9 reported that a 22-year-old was separately charged with forgery earlier in the year after allegedly enrolling at White Bear Lake Area High School while posing as a 17-year-old student, reportedly attending classes there for 19 days.
What Minnesota Law Says About the Charges
Under Minnesota law, aggravated forgery can carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to $20,000, according to the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes. The state's standard forgery statute, meanwhile, carries a maximum penalty of three years' imprisonment or a $5,000 fine, or both, per a separate section of the same statutes. Craig faces one count under the lesser forgery statute in addition to the two aggravated forgery counts, FOX 9 reported.
The case also touches on protections meant for genuinely homeless students. Guidance from the Minnesota Department of Education states that unaccompanied homeless youth have the right to immediate enrollment in school without a guardian's signature — the same McKinney-Vento provision Craig allegedly invoked in her enrollment paperwork, according to the complaint cited by Bring Me The News.
