Citizen Of The United Kingdom Convicted For Resisting Deportation Orders

LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that Michael Phillip Telemaque, 47, of the United Kingdom, was found guilty by a federal jury on four counts of impeding or hampering his deportation.  U.S. District Judge Patricia Minaldi presided over the trial.

Telemaque’s trial started Monday and ended Tuesday morning with the jury returning a guilty verdict after deliberating for 30 minutes.  Witness testimony and documents admitted at trial revealed that Telemaque refused to fill out passport applications for his deportation to the United Kingdom four times between November 2010 and September 2011.  In addition to the application requirement, the United Kingdom also requires that Telemaque must speak to a representative of the consulate, provide fingerprints and a photo, and show proof that he is a United Kingdom citizen.  He refused to perform any of these tasks and failed to provide an explanation to his refusal.  Telemaque was found guilty in January 1997 for selling crack cocaine and received a 180-month prison sentence.  He was ordered to be removed from the United States in June of 2010.

Telemaque faces up to four years in prison per count, a $250,000 fine, and one year of supervised release for resisting deportation.  Sentencing is set for December 6, 2013.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. McManus and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert C. Abendroth are prosecuting the case.