October 2, 2009

COLOMBIAN MAN INDICTED FOR IMMIGRATION OFFENSES

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that on October 1, 2009, Juan Carlos Guzman-Betancourt, of Colombia, was indicted by a federal grand jury sitting in Burlington, Vermont on charges that he was found in the United States after having been previously deported and that he lied about being a United States citizen. Betancourt made an initial appearance in the United States District Court for the District of Vermont on September 22, 2009 and was ordered detained pending resolution of the case.

According to court documents, on the evening of September 21, 2009, a United States Border Patrol agent encountered Betancourt at a gas station in Derby Line, Vermont. Betancourt told the agent that his name was Jordi Ejarque-Rodriguez, that he was a United States citizen born in New York, and that he had entered the United States on foot without inspection after his car had broken down in Canada. On Betancourt’s person law enforcement found a Spanish passport bearing the name Jordi Ejarque-Rodriguez.

After an investigation conducted by the United States Border Patrol, Betancourt’s identity and Colombian citizenship were determined. It was also determined that Betancourt had been deported from the United States on three previous occasions and did not have permission to reenter the United States.

If convicted, Betancourt faces up to twenty years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, in the event of a conviction, will be determined in accordance with the federal Sentencing Guidelines. The United States Attorney, Tristram J. Coffin, emphasized that the charges contained in the indictment are accusations only and that Betancourt is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.