Hagerstown Inmate Allegedly Forged Documents to Secure Early Release from RCI

HAGERSTOWN, MD News (11/15/2023) – Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown announced today additional charges against Jose Miguel Tapia, 38, a Maryland inmate implicated in a drone contraband conspiracy at Roxbury Correctional Institution (RCI) in Hagerstown, Maryland. In the latest developments, Tapia faces new charges for allegedly forging a court commitment document in an attempt to secure an early release from prison.

The charges are a result of a joint investigation led by the Maryland Office of the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Unit, the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS), the Washington County Narcotics Task Force, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division.

According to the charging document, Tapia created a fake court commitment with the seal of the Clerk of the Circuit Court, claiming 449 additional days of credit for time served against his sentence. He then electronically transmitted the fraudulent order to DPSCS and the Clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City. Subsequently, Tapia, from his prison cell, impersonated a representative from the Office of the State’s Attorney, calling the Clerk’s Office to expedite the processing of the forged commitment. Fortunately, the Clerk’s Office identified the document as a forgery, preventing Tapia’s release. Tapia now faces a 13-count criminal information, including charges of obstruction of justice and forgery.

In a separate set of charges, Tapia is accused of utilizing a contraband cell phone within his jail cell to orchestrate an elaborate identity fraud scheme. Allegedly assuming the identities of multiple individuals, including elderly women, Tapia aimed to steal their money. The charging document further claims that Tapia impersonated representatives from various hospitals to gain unauthorized access to email systems and finances. Additionally, Tapia targeted a company handling electronic payments to hospitals, altering the hospital’s fax number to his own to intercept sensitive information. Tapia now faces a 40-count criminal information, including charges of felony identity theft scheme and felony theft.

Law enforcement, with court authorization, intercepted Tapia’s communications made through his contraband cell phone. On November 5, 2022, investigators conducted a search of Tapia’s RCI prison cell, recovering the illicit device.

Attorney General Brown commended the vigilance of correctional staff and law enforcement officers, emphasizing their crucial role in preserving the security of communities. He stated, “If it had been successful, this inmate’s complex scheme to impersonate government officials could have resulted in his escape from confinement and in his theft of numerous identities that could have cost several people serious financial loss.”

Tapia is already facing charges related to a contraband conspiracy at RCI. Alongside 14 other individuals, Tapia was indicted on May 25, 2023, for participating in a sophisticated criminal network employing drones, a correctional officer, and a hospital to distribute drugs and various contraband within RCI. The case uncovered an intricate system involving the recruitment of civilians via Instagram to fly drones over the RCI fence, attempting deliveries of drugs and contraband. Tapia is currently held without bail at the Washington County Detention Center on the drone conspiracy charges, with the trial scheduled for December 11, 2023.

Eleven of the 15 RCI defendants have already pled guilty, while the remaining four face trials set in the Circuit Court for Washington County in December 2023 and January 2024.

The Attorney General’s Office, in collaboration with DPSCS, continues its efforts to dismantle contraband networks within state institutions. Last month, Attorney General Brown announced the guilty pleas of all 11 defendants in a separate contraband conspiracy case at Jessup Correctional Institution (JCI) in Anne Arundel County, Maryland.

In acknowledgment of the collaborative effort in this investigation, Attorney General Brown thanked key personnel, including Criminal Division Chief Katie Dorian, Chief of Investigations Chris Jones, DPSCS Lieutenants Valentrina White and David Roman, and DPSCS Detective Sergeants Michael Baier and Ryan Shifflet. The prosecution team includes Senior Assistant Attorney General Jared I. Albert, Senior Assistant Attorney General Zachary A. Norfolk, and Special Assistant Attorney General Brendan J. Flynn.

Attorney General Brown also expressed gratitude to Special Agents from the DEA Washington Division’s Hagerstown Resident Office, the Washington County Narcotics Taskforce, State’s Attorney for Baltimore City Ivan J. Bates, and State’s Attorney for Washington County Gina Cirincion for their contributions to the investigation.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors.