Kenyan Woman Sentenced for Flight From Arrest

United States Attorney Joe Kelly announced that Lydia Moraa Matunda, 33, was sentenced today by the United States Magistrate Judge Susan M. Bazis for one count of Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers or Employees and one count of Willful Injury or Depredation of Property of the United States. Both counts are misdemeanors. Matunda was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment for Count I and one month imprisonment for Count II to be served consecutively.  Matunda also received a one-year term of supervised release upon her release from prison.  The Kenyan national’s immigration removal proceeding is still active.

On July 11, 2019, Deportation Officers with the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, were investigating the whereabouts of Matunda.  Matunda, who was in the course of immigration removal proceedings, had her bond rejected by the Board of Immigration Appeals and was ordered to be returned to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.     

When Deportation Officers located Matunda at an apartment in Bellevue, Nebraska, she fled from Deportation Officers in her car at a high rate of speed.   At the time she fled, Matunda was wearing a GPS ankle bracelet as a condition of her immigration bond.  The GPS ankle bracelet allowed Deportation Officers to quickly locate Matunda at a nearby gas station.  When the Deportation Officers arrived at the gas station, Matunda had cut off the GPS ankle bracelet, however, she was still at that location.  Matunda was taken into custody.   

This case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement.