Quebec Man Pleads Guilty to Failing to Stop for Border Patrol
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brandon Thompson, age 30, of Snye, Quebec, Canada, pled guilty today to failing to obey the commands of Border Patrol while he was operating a boat on the St. Lawrence River.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Chief Patrol Agent John C. Pfeifer, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.
Thompson admitted that on July 26, 2016, as Border Patrol Marine Unit Agents were directing him to stop and bring his boat alongside a Border Patrol boat for inspection, he instead sped away, disregarding the agents’ commands.
Agents attempted to stop Thompson because they had observed him enter U.S. waters from Canada, without reporting for inspection, at approximately 10:30 p.m.
Thompson faces up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on January 18, 2018 by Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.