Former MOST Employee Arrested in HSI-Led Federal Operation

A Malden man employed by an after-school childcare provider working in the district was taken into federal custody the morning of September 15 as part of an operation led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), according to public notices issued by the Malden Police Department (MPD) and Malden Public Schools (MPS).

According to MPD's public notice, at approximately 6 a.m. on September 15, Malden Police assisted HSI with a federal arrest and search warrant operation on the east side of the city. Police identified the man taken into custody as Anthony Fowlkes, a Malden resident, and said the operation stemmed from "an ongoing federal investigation originating in Michigan." MPD said Fowlkes was "taken into custody without incident pursuant to a federal arrest warrant," and that a federal search warrant was also executed at his residence.

MPD's notice states that Fowlkes was "subsequently transferred to federal custody and transported to the federal courthouse in Boston for further proceedings." The department described the operation as HSI-led, "with Malden Police providing local assistance and support," and said "there are no local or state charges associated with this matter at this time." MPD said any further information about the investigation or federal charges "will be provided by the appropriate federal authorities when available."

District confirms employment history, says no indication MPS is involved

In a same-day message to families, MPS Superintendent Timothy Sippel confirmed that Fowlkes was, at the time of his arrest, a current employee of AlphaBEST — an extended-day childcare provider that operates within Malden Public Schools facilities — and previously worked for the MOST program at the Linden School.

Sippel wrote that police notified the district the morning of the arrest, and that officers told the district the arrest "took place off campus and was executed pursuant to a federal warrant issued in Detroit, Michigan." The superintendent said that "based on the seriousness of the allegations," AlphaBEST terminated Fowlkes, and that he "no longer has access to all Malden Public Schools facilities."

"At this time we have no indication that the charges involved the Malden Public Schools in any way," Sippel wrote, adding that the district "cannot comment further" while the investigation remains open, and that it will continue to cooperate with federal, state, and local officials.

What hasn't been confirmed

Neither MPD's notice nor the district's letter identifies the specific federal charges or the underlying allegations against Fowlkes, beyond describing the matter as an "ongoing federal investigation" out of Michigan. Both notices explicitly say that further detail is expected to come from federal authorities — the U.S. Attorney's Office and/or HSI — rather than from local police or the school district.

The Civic Broadside was not able to independently locate a Department of Justice or U.S. Attorney's Office press release, a docket entry, or an arraignment record freely available to the public confirming the specific charges as of publication.

Malden Public Schools release indicated that anyone with information or concerns related to the matter should contact the Malden Police Department.