NHP trooper arrested in passport case

James Raymond Kennedy, 47, was taken into custody Monday by a special agent with the State Department's bureau of diplomatic security.

The complaint alleges Kennedy fraudulently obtained a passport in July 1984 under the name of John Steven Staran, a 34-year-old man who had committed suicide four months earlier in Aurora, Ill. Kennedy allegedly applied for a renewal in 1994.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Schiess said Kennedy owns $1 million in property in Illinois and has boasted of a home in Thailand, his wife's native country. The prosecutor said Kennedy has talked of frequent trips to that country to bring back gems.

The prosecutor said officials with the U.S. Customs Service have no record of anyone with the name Staran or Kennedy declaring any gems that were brought into this country.

Schiess said Kennedy also boasted that he has a Swiss bank account and had announced his intention to retire after completing 10 years with the highway patrol.

Scheiss told U.S. Magistrate Roger Hunt that an agent assigned to the case had gathered 20 to 30 pieces of identification documents that Kennedy has obtained in Staran's name.

Assistant Federal Public Defender Bart French said Kennedy has worked for the highway patrol since 1989. The attorney said Kennedy also manages an apartment complex, where he lives, and an office complex in Las Vegas.

Kennedy was released on $100,000 bond. French argued that he be released without any bond or limitations on his travel, saying he had strong job and family ties in Las Vegas.

Schiess said prosecutors plan to present the case to a grand jury later this month. He faces a charge of making a false statement in application for a passport.

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