GARDNER — On Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, at approximately 11:30 a.m., Gardner Police Officers Angel Espada and Thomas Neufell were dispatched to the GFA Federal Credit Union located at 229 Parker Street following a report that an individual attempted to cash a fraudulent check.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Angel Espada and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“Before arriving on the scene, I contacted Officer Neufell via radio to look for a suspicious vehicle while I entered the bank to locate the suspect,” Officer Espada said. “Upon our arrival, I quickly entered the bank and saw an employee signaling for my attention. She approached me and informed me that the woman she was helping was trying to cash a fake check.”
Officer Espada took the fraudulent $3,622.87 check from the credit union employee and approached the female suspect.
“When I asked her the purpose of her visit to the bank, she claimed she was there to cash a check from her work,” Officer Espada said. “However, when I asked where she worked to verify the information on the check, she was unable to answer. I requested the ID was in plain view on the table, and she handed it to me. The female suspect was identified as Mikayla Ashlee McCullen.”
According to police, Mikayla Ashlee McCullen, 21, is a resident of Lowell, MA.
“She then asked if we could speak privately,” Officer Espada said. “As we moved toward the lobby, Mikayla shouted, ‘They set me up! They are right outside, two cars, white and black. Watch, they won’t be there, officer. Can I show you? Look, oh my god, they’re not there! I knew it!’ Mikayla then began crying and admitted that she knew what she had done was wrong.”
Officer Espada said that before he could respond, McCullen continued speaking, stating she had been picked up from Lowell and knew she was coming to Gardner to cash the fraudulent check, the back of which she had signed. The check was made out to McCullen from PJD Entertainment of Worcester Inc.
“She expressed regret, stating that she should have just said no,” Officer Espada said. “Officer Neufell entered the bank and reported that he did not see any vehicles in the parking lot.”
Officer Neufell then radioed dispatch to inquire about the vehicles that McCullen mentioned.
“Sergeant [Lorin] Walter checked the area but was unable to locate anything,” Officer Espada said. “He subsequently entered the bank, where I explained the situation and outlined my next steps. I instructed Mikayla to place her hands behind her back, explaining that she was being arrested. Mikayla acknowledged that she expected this outcome and expressed her regret for her actions.”
McCullen was then placed in the rear of Officer Espada’s cruiser who then transported her to the Gardner Police Department for booking.
“While in the back of the cruiser, Mikayla continued to shout, stating that she knew her actions were wrong from the beginning,” Officer Espada said. Adding, “During the booking process, Mikayla removed the wig she was wearing and took off her long eyelashes, which altered her appearance. She was then asked a series of booking questions, and Sergeant Walter took her fingerprints.”
Officer Espada said he then returned to GFA Federal Credit Union and met with a security officer who was able to retrieve footage of the vehicle McCullen exited.
“The vehicle was identified as a white SUV, possibly a Ford Escape,” Officer Espada said. “Additionally, the footage revealed another car, a dark-colored, four-door vehicle that appeared to be a Chevy.”
The security officer sent the footage to Officer Espada’s work email.
“At approximately 1:00 p.m., I met with Detective [Danielle] Dorval to discuss the case and the plan to interview Mikayla. Together, we approached Mikayla and escorted her to the interview room,” Officer Espada said. “Around 1:10 p.m., I pressed the two buttons located on the wall to start audio and video recording of the interview. I informed Mikayla that the session was being recorded.”
After Detective Dorval took a seat, Officer Espada said he formally introduced himself, as well as Detective Dorval, to McCullen.
“I read the Miranda rights form in its entirety to Mikayla. I asked if she understood the rights, to which she affirmed that she did,” Officer Espada said. “She then signed the form, as did I.”
Officer Espada said that, during the interview, McCullen explained that the situation began two weeks ago when she met an individual known as “Capone” on Instagram.
McCullen said that Capone, whose real name she did not provide to police, sent her a voice message indicating he wanted to meet.
“Although Mikayla did not know Capone well, she felt okay with the idea of meeting him,” Officer Espada said. “He told her that he lived approximately 40 minutes away from her location.”
Officer Espada said that, at this time, McCullen began to cry and said she had not slept for 24 hours.
“She stated that Capone arranged for an Uber to pick her up and meet him at a Motel 6 in Nashua, NH,” Officer Espada said. “The Uber driver arrived at her house around 12:30 a.m. and took her to that location.”
McCullen said that she felt uncertain about what to do when she arrived at the motel.
“She waited in the lobby because her phone was dying and felt uncomfortable with the lobby worker, who asked if she was okay before she stepped outside to wait,” Officer Espada said. “Mikayla reported that Capone arrived with a friend named Chris, also known as ‘Pounda.’ She got into their car and was taken to another Motel 6, where Capone intended to make music.”
When McCullen entered the hotel room, she said she saw four other men and one woman.
“Feeling uncomfortable, she thought she was in the wrong place,” Officer Espada said.
The other woman in the room, who identified herself as “Jaylexx,” told McCullen that Capone and Pounda were using her.
“Mikayla [then] observed an argument between Jaylexx and Pounda regarding her presence,” Officer Espada said. “Subsequently, Jaylexx instructed Mikayla to wait in her car. After some time, Jaylexx joined Mikayla in the car and said she was driving her to her house. Mikayla was unfamiliar with Jaylexx’s address, but once they arrived, she found Pounda waiting for them. Pounda screamed at Jaylexx, questioning why she was helping Mikayla. In response, Jaylexx shouted at Pounda to leave, and he did. Shortly afterward, Jaylexx informed Mikayla that she had to go home because she had a child to care for.”
McCullen said she then ordered an Uber to take her home.
“Mikayla indicated she received 27 missed calls from Pounda and a FaceTime video call from Capone and Pounda, who asked where she was going. During the call, Capone threatened her, saying, ‘You think you’re safe, but you’re not. I will air that sh*t out,’” Officer Espada said.
Officer Espada said McCullen expressed concern for both her safety and her grandmother’s well-being, stating that although she had never seen Capone with a firearm, he had referenced owning one multiple times.
“Later, Mikayla revealed that she opened an account with GFA on October 3, 2025,” Officer Espada said. “She noted that Capone had taken her to open the account, but was unsure of the exact location. When one account was declined, Capone took her to another GFA branch in Gardner, where she successfully opened an account.”
McCullen said that on Oct. 4, 2025, Capone brought her to a red brick building in Fitchburg so he could visit a family member, and she had to wait in the car while he went inside.
“When he returned, he was holding a fake check with her name on it, which made Mikayla realize something was amiss. When I asked Mikayla if there were other banks involved, she replied that there were none besides GFA,” Officer Espada said. “She mentioned that they returned to the Gardner GFA, where they encountered another car containing two males, including Pounda, and a female whose identity she did not know.”
McCullen said she and Capone were in a white SUV, while the other vehicle was dark-colored and resembled a Honda. The vehicles parked next to each other at GFA Federal Credit Union, facing a field.
“Capone then told her she would receive $1,200, while he would take $1,800 for facilitating the scheme, and she agreed because she needed the money,” Officer Espada said. “Mikayla stated that shortly after she entered the bank and saw me approaching her, she realized she was about to be caught. Mikayla admitted she did not know much about Capone. The only thing she knew was that he had neck tattoos, arm tattoos, light skin, and a prominent nose. A photo will be attached to this report showing Mikayla and Capone lying together, which is the only information she had about him.”
McCullen mentioned having mutual friends with Pounda and showed Officer Espada a photo of him, which Officer Espada said he would attach to the report as well.
“When asked if she could provide any additional information, Mikayla replied that she could not. The interview concluded at 2:11 p.m.,” Officer Espada said. Later adding, “Afterward, Mikayla was taken back to her cell to await bail. She was unable to provide further information on Capone, only mentioning his nickname and stating that he was ‘on the run’ and rarely seen in public.”
Officer Espada said that, although McCullen said Pounda lived both in Lowell and Fitchburg, she couldn’t provide any additional information about him.
Officer Espada said that since McCullen had multiple opportunities to call 911, or report the illegal activities to police, yet continued to go to the bank in an attempt to cash the check, he charged her with the following offenses:
- Utter False Check
- Attempted Larceny By Check
McCullen’s arraignment was scheduled for October 6, 2025, in Gardner District Court.
Disclaimer: If you are wondering why the incident in this story took place in October, that’s because I had to file FOIA request(s) to obtain the court documents. FOIAs are time-consuming.
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