Charles Lee Dewey III — also known as Carter Allen Widmor —covers his face as he is escorted by a Corrections officer at the CNMI courthouse on Monday.
CHARLES Lee Dewey III, who fled Indiana after six arrest warrants were issued against him, was arrested on Saipan.
Dewey, also known as Carter Allen Widmor, has been accused of, among other things, rape and sexual misconduct with a minor.
A multi-agency federal and local law enforcement task force arrested Dewey, 27, on Friday at his place of work in Kagman.
He appeared before Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho for a bail hearing on Monday in the custody of the Department of Corrections.
Judge Camacho imposed a $500,000 cash bail on the defendant.
Assistant Public Defender Emily Thomsen was appointed to represent Dewey while Assistant Attorney General Heather Barcinas appeared for the government.
Dewey, though his attorney, waived his extradition hearing.
Barcinas, for her part, informed the court that they are waiting for the Indiana governor’s warrant so they can begin extraditing Dewey. She asked the court to give the CNMI Office of the Attorney General two weeks to submit a status update.
After hearing from the parties, Judge Camacho remanded Dewey to the custody of Corrections and scheduled a status conference for Feb. 14, at 10 a.m.
The CNMI government charged Dewey with one count of being a fugitive from justice.
Background
On Jan. 8, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Service in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands received a request from the Northern District of Indiana, Great Lakes Regional Fugitive Task Force in locating and apprehending Charles Lee Dewey III, who was believed to be residing on Saipan.
On Jan. 19, Homeland Security Investigations and local task force officers located Dewey and learned that he was using the alias Carter Allen Widmor.
Dewey had also acquired a CNMI driver’s license as Carter Allen Widmor.
The state of Indiana issued six warrants of arrest against Dewey:
• An arrest warrant issued on Dec. 10, 2020, in 02D04-2012-F4-00129 for charges of count 1: dissemination of matter harmful to a minor; count 2: sexual misconduct with a minor; count 3: child solicitation.
• An arrest warrant issued on Dec. 22, 2020, in 02D05-2012-F4-000134 for charges of four counts of misconduct with a minor; one count of intimidation; and one count of possession of marijuana.
• An arrest warrant issued on Dec. 22, 2020, in 02D05-2012-F4-000024 for charges of two counts of rape; two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor; one count of residential entry; one count of dissemination of matter harmful to minors; one count of possession of child pornography; and one count of child solicitation.
• An arrest warrant issued on June 28, 2021, in 02D05-2106-F4-000059 for the charge of one count of sexual misconduct with a minor.
• An arrest warrant issued on June 14, 2021, in 02D06-2107-F5-000279 for charges of one count of child solicitation; one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor; two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor; and one count of sexual battery.
• An arrest warrant issued on July 22, 2021, in 02D05-2107-F4-000071 for charges of two counts of sexual misconduct with a minor; one count of child solicitation; and one count of dissemination of matter harmful to a minor. Two minor victims were involved in this case.
In a features article published by Variety a year ago, Dewey, as Carter Widmor, said he was a cancer survivor who taught people how to play guitar for a minimal fee and was also a professional web designer.
In Sept. 2023, Widmor, who said he was born in an Amish community, complained that the local Social Security Administration office had refused to issue him a Social Security number.
