United States Attorney Erica MacDonald announced the guilty pleas of OTIS RAY MAYS, 26, to charges of wire fraud and receipt of child pornography. MAYS, who was charged in two separate indictments on March 12, 2019, entered his guilty plea on October 3, 2019, before Judge Eric C. Tostrud in U.S. District Court in St. Paul, Minnesota. A sentencing date for MAYS has not yet been scheduled.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, in May of 2017, a husband and wife went to the Hennepin County Government Center to seek advice about how to evict tenants from a rental property they owned. MAYS approached the couple and falsely stated that he was a lawyer and offered to help them with the eviction of tenants. MAYS later told the couple that their son, a college student, had downloaded to his computer videos that had been “pirated.” In exchange for a $305,000 payment to the owner of the rights in those videos, MAYS claimed he could resolve any legal difficulties arising from the allegedly pirated videos. The victim couple, at MAYS’s direction, purchased a $305,000 cashier’s check, payable to a Minneapolis lawyer, who in turn paid MAYS.  MAYS also impersonated a lawyer on other occasions, and in total stole more than $340,000 from the victim couple.

According to the defendant’s guilty plea and documents filed in court, on November 20, 2017, and on December 1, 2017, MAYS transferred to his laptop computer a total of nine video files depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

These cases are the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, the Bloomington Police Department, and the Richfield Police Department.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Docherty.

 

Defendant Information:

OTIS RAY MAYS, 26

Minneapolis, Minn.

Convicted:

Wire fraud, 1 count

Receipt of child pornography, 1 count

 

 

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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

United States Attorney Erica H. MacDonald announced two separate federal indictments against OTIS RAY MAYS, JR., 26, charging him with production and receipt of child pornography and wire fraud. Following his arraignment and detention hearing yesterday before Magistrate Judge Katherine M. Menendez, MAYS was ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings.

According to the allegations in the first indictment, from May 2017 through September 20, 2017, MAYS devised a scheme to defraud two victims, a husband and wife couple. As part of the scheme, MAYS falsely told the couple that he was a lawyer and offered to help them with the eviction of tenants from their rental properties. MAYS also told them that their son, a college student, had visited terrorist websites and, as a result, was facing federal, criminal, terrorism charges. MAYS told the victims that in exchange for a payment of $30,000, their son could avoid being detained on those federal terrorism charges, and in exchange for further payment of $6,222, those charges would be dropped. Additionally, MAYS told the victims that their son’s computer contained videos that had been “pirated” and in exchange for a $305,000 payment, MAYS could resolve any legal difficulties arising from the allegedly pirated videos. In total, MAYS stole more than $340,000 from the victims.

According to the allegations in the second indictment, on November 20, 2017, and on November 29, 2017, MAYS engaged in sexually explicit conduct with a minor victim for the purpose of producing video recordings of the conduct. Additionally, on November 29, 2017, and on December 1, 2017, MAYS received multiple video files containing child pornography.

Based on the evidence obtained in both cases, authorities believe there may be additional victims of the alleged conduct. Anyone with information about this matter is encouraged to call the FBI at (763) 569-8000. Callers may remain anonymous.

These cases are the result of an investigation conducted by Bloomington Police Department, Richfield Police Department, and the FBI.

These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John Docherty.

 

Defendant Information:

OTIS RAY MAYS, JR., 26

Minneapolis, Minn.

Charges:

Wire fraud, 3 counts

Production of child pornography, 9 counts

Receipt of child pornography, 1 count

 

 

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United States Attorney’s Office, District of Minnesota: (612) 664-5600

 

 



The charges contained in the indictments are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.