Registered sex offender allegedly poses as teen to enroll in Minnesota high school, says they wanted to ‘get the full experience’
This wasn't his first rodeo with the alleged fraud.
A registered sex offender from Oregon allegedly attempted to enroll in a Minnesota high school by posing as a 17-year-old. 29-year-old Makayla Craig was taken into police custody in Hennepin County and was charged with three counts of forgery, including two counts of aggravated forgery.
On Oct. 19, Maple Grove Police reportedly received a tip from a concerned Maple Grove High School staff member, who claimed a homeless teen under the name of “Molly Fox” tried to enroll as a student and completed the enrollment paperwork, according to a criminal complaint, per CBS News. Staff members grew apprehensive when the teen had no identification and allegedly insisted on getting enrolled immediately, referencing the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, a federal law that protects homeless youth’s educational rights.
Due to the lack of identification, Fox was reportedly enrolled in an online program instead. But police later determined Fox’s real identity was Craig and arrested them on a public parking ramp on Oct. 20 on probable cause before they were formally charged on Oct. 22.
Minnesota police clarify Craig didn’t become a student
In a press release, authorities assured the public that Craig “never completed enrollment,” was never present on campus as a student, and did not attend any online classes. “The Maple Grove Police Department credits the school district staff for their alertness with the incident, quick action to notify a school resource officer, and collaboration in the investigation,” police added. “The case remains an active and ongoing investigation.”
During their interview with investigators, Craig maintained that their name was Molly and claimed they chose to enroll in and attend in-person classes because they wanted to “get the full experience” after becoming sober, having never attended school before. They also said they were accepted at an alternative high school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, before eventually deciding to enroll in Maple Grove High School.
A judge reportedly set Craig’s bail at $200,000 without conditions or $100,000 with conditions during a court hearing on Friday. The conditions of their bail included having no contact with Maple Grove High School, having no contact with minor children, keeping at least three blocks’ distance from schools, and complying with the law.
Craig tried enrolling as a 15-year-old before
This is not the first case involving a fake identity, nor is it Craig’s first attempt to enroll as a minor student at a high school, according to KAKE11. In 2024, Craig was sentenced to 40 days in jail after enrolling as a homeless 15-year-old girl named Madison at a high school in Oregon. The school’s staff claimed they noticed something was amiss when Craig made an appearance on campus.
In a separate case, Craig was found guilty of fraudulently using credits, false swearing, and forgery in 2025, while they have an active arrest warrant for an ongoing theft case from May. They have been out of compliance as a registered sex offender for the past year after being convicted of sexually abusing a minor in 2023.
Meanwhile, Craig’s next court hearing is set for Nov. 18. A forgery conviction carries a penalty of up to three years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both. Aggravated forgery, on the other hand, is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $20,000.
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