Former deputy U.S. marshal is arrested

BURBANK — Former Deputy U.S. Marshal Richard Carl Eaton, a Burbank resident, was arrested Saturday on suspicion of passport fraud.

Eaton, who was vice president of Operations at Starside Security & Investigation, a company that lists background checks and criminal and civil investigations among its services, could not be reached for comment

U.S. Department of State special agents, assisted by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies, arrested Eaton in San Dimas after he allegedly used an altered name, Social Security number and date of birth to apply for a passport, said Greg Levin, special agent in charge at the Los Angeles field office for the State Department.

An allegedly mismatched Social Security number, date of birth and name sent up red flags that launched an investigation of Eaton, Levin said.

The investigation revealed Eaton allegedly owed a substantial amount of overdue child support, which under the State Department’s Passport Denial Program would render him ineligible for a new passport.

“Once [the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Child Support Enforcement] has entered a name into their database, then our job and our role is to ensure that those people do not have active passports,” said David Bates, public affairs staffer at the State Department.

Representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services would not reveal how much child support Eaton owed, but the denial program applies only to those who owe more than $2,500.

Eaton was detained Saturday at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles and was released on $100,000 bail Monday after appearing before a U.S. Magistrate judge.

“Now [Eaton’s case] will go work its way through the court process,” Levin said.

It was unknown whether Eaton planned to leave the country soon after receiving his passport, Bates said.

“At this point in time, I have no information that he was going anywhere, but by virtue of the fact that he applied for another passport suggests that he might have had plans,” he said. “And if he did, those plans are now on hold.”

If convicted, Eaton faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, according to the State Department.

 RACHEL KANE covers education. She may be reached at (818) 637-3205 or by e-mail at rachel.kane@latimes.com.