Five Arrested In Child Sex Exploition Sting Operation

On March 18, 2021, a joint sting operation was conducted by members of Marquette County Law Enforcement in collaboration with the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office. The focus of the sting was to identify and arrest suspected consumers of child sex crimes.

The agencies involved included the Marquette County Sheriff’s Office, the Marquette Police Department, the Michigan State Police, the Upper Peninsula Substance Enforcement Team (UPSET), and the Genesee Human Oppression Strike Team (GHOST).

At the conclusion of the operation, five suspects had been taken into custody. They are:
1. Robert Jay Miller, age 42, of Negaunee.
2. Ameire Rackem Stevens, age 48, of Skandia.
3. Alan Brian Schwalbach, age 64, of Vulcan.
4. Keith David Johnson, age 50, of Au Train.
5. Chad Michael Anderson, age 32, of Gwinn.

Each of the five suspects were subsequently charged by the Marquette County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with the following four offenses:

1. Child Sexually Abusive Activity, a felony with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or $100,000. Conviction of this offense also carries requirements to register as a sex offender under the Michigan Sex Offender Registration Act.

2. Use of a Computer to Commit Child Sexually Abusive Activity, a felony with a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and/or $20,000. This charge carries with it the possibility of a consecutive sentence that is within the discretion of the sentencing court.

3. Accosting a Child for Immoral Purposes, a felony with a maximum penalty of 4 years in prison and/or $4,000. Conviction of this offense also carries requirements to register as a sex offender under the Michigan Sex Offender Registration Act.

4. Use of a Computer to Commit Accosting a Child for Immoral Purposes, a felony with a maximum penalty of 7 years in prison and/or $5,000. This charge carries with it the possibility of a consecutive sentence that is within the discretion of the sentencing court.

These charges are only allegations, and all suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

This operation was able to take place due to the support of the Upper Peninsula Human Trafficking Task Force (UPHTTF), the Genesee County Sheriff’s Office, and Operation Underground Railroad. The Marquette County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office recognizes Ms. Stephanie Krieger, President of the UPHTTF, for her role in bringing together the resources to make this operation a success, and Genesee County Sheriff, Chris Swanson, for bringing his team to the UP to train and assist in this operation.