Gary Man Charged With Counterfeiting, Impersonation, And Intimidation After Mailing Forged Legal Demand
Malachi Isaiah Laxton, 24, of Gary, is facing three felony charges after investigators allege he created and mailed a notarized forged affidavit that appeared to come from the Indiana Attorney General’s Office and demanded restitution from a financial institution.
According to the probable cause affidavit, the investigation began after the Indiana Attorney General’s Office was notified that Dash Services had received a notarized affidavit that was believed to be fraudulent. The document purported to be drafted by an investigator with the Indiana Attorney General’s Office and “demanded restitution” from Dash Services, a financial institution Laxton had a grievance with.
Investigators learned that on July 18, 2023, Laxton sent a complaint to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office alleging he was a victim of identity theft and requesting “full compensation for all funds.” The envelope containing the complaint was postmarked July 20, 2023, and listed Laxton’s Gary address as the return address.
On July 25, 2024, an investigator with the Attorney General’s Office emailed Laxton regarding the complaint and included a professional signature line identifying themselves as an investigator with the office.
On or about August 1, 2024, Laxton emailed the investigator a letter from Dash Services dated July 12, 2024, showing that his reimbursement request had been denied. In that letter, Dash Services explained that Laxton’s allegations of theft contradicted statements he made to Gary Police when he reported the theft on July 2, 2024. Dash Services also noted that although Laxton claimed the theft occurred in April 2020, the prepaid debit card holding the $20,000 PPP loan he claimed was stolen was not issued until July 2, 2021, and was not activated until July 6, 2021. Dash Services further explained that Laxton did not report the alleged loss for four years and, during that time, reported additional transactions on the same debit card.
On September 6, 2024, Dash Services contacted the Attorney General’s Office after receiving what they believed to be a fraudulent affidavit. In the email, Dash Services stated that the document “seems to be a template from LawDepot.com” and that they believed Laxton copied the professional signature line from the July 25, 2024 email onto the forged document.
The forged affidavit listed “Malachi Isaiah Laxton” as the plaintiff and Dash Solutions as the defendant and stated in part:
“The Indiana Attorney General’s Office hereby demands that Dash Card Services take the following actions immediately.”
The affidavit demanded:
“Restitution Payment: Provide full restitution to Mr. Malachi Laxton by reimbursing the entire amount of $20,665 without further delay.”
It further warned:
“Failure to provide the demanded restitution and comply with the above actions within reasonable period will compel this office to pursue further legal actions to ensure that Mr. Laxton receives the justice and compensation he is entitled under law.”
The document also included a watermark reading “2002–2024 LawDepot.com.”
Investigators say Laxton’s name and signature on the forged affidavit were notarized on August 12, 2024, at The UPS Store in Merrillville. The notary confirmed Laxton presented photo identification, matched the identification, and signed the document in the notary’s presence. The notary log from that date listed the customer as “Malachi Laxton” with a Gary address matching Bureau of Motor Vehicles records.
The investigator with the Attorney General’s Office later confirmed they did not draft the affidavit and had not drafted any affidavits for the office until July 2025.
Dash Services reported the forged affidavit was mailed from The UPS Store in Merrillville on August 12, 2024, and arrived at their office in Omaha, Nebraska before being emailed internally and reported to authorities.
Investigators allege the affidavit falsely represented itself as an official document from the Indiana Attorney General’s Office and was used in an attempt to compel Dash Services to send restitution funds to Laxton.
Lodged in the Lake County Jail in February 4,2026.
Charges filed January 29,2026:
• Counterfeiting – Level 6 Felony
• Impersonation of a Public Servant – Level 6 Felony
• Intimidation: Threat to Commit a Forcible Felony Level 6 Felony
