October 2, 2007

ROMANIAN MAN PLEADS GUILTY TO RE-ENTRY AFTER REMOVAL

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on September 17, 2007, Sorin Velcu, 22, a native and citizen of Romania, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge J. Garvan Murtha, for entering the United States illegally after a previous removal, deportation or exclusion. Velcu entered the United States without having received permission from the Attorney General to re-enter the country and without a valid immigrant visa or any other valid entry document. He was sentenced to a period of time served, to be followed by a one-year term of supervised release.

Velcu, who has refugee status in Canada, entered the United States by driving a sports utility vehicle down an unguarded farm road near Alburg, Vermont. Although Velcu reported that he intended to go camping, he had no camping equipment in his vehicle. He was apprehended on Route 2 in Alburg, Vermont.

Previously, in August of 2005, Velcu was arrested in McAllen, Texas. With a number of other people, Velcu had left Romania, flown to Mexico from Paris, France, and had walked across the Rio Grande River into the United States. He failed to appear for a Texas immigration removal hearing and was ordered removed. Thereafter, he was smuggled into Canada in September of 2005. He was granted refugee status in Canada on September 4, 2005. As Velcu illegally reentered the United States after a previous removal, deportation or exclusion, he was sentenced for a violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(g).

This case was investigated by the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy J. Creswell. Sorin Velcu was represented by Thomas Niksa, Esq.