New Jersey Man Charged with Unlawful Transportation of Individuals

The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that Christoph A. Romero-Gil, 40, of Trenton, New Jersey, appeared today in federal court on a charge alleging that on July 9, 2022, he unlawfully transported individuals he knew to have entered the United States illegally. Romero-Gil pleaded not guilty at his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle and was released pending trial.

According to public documents in the case, on July 9, 2022, United States Border Patrol responded to a camera activation showing four subjects with backpacks walking southbound near the international border in Franklin, Vermont. Border Patrol agents responded to the area, and conducted a traffic stop of a Nissan Pathfinder, which was being driven by Romero-Gil. Border Patrol agents found six additional occupants in the Nissan Pathfinder. Two occupants of the vehicle admitted they were Mexican nationals without lawful status in the United States who had unlawfully entered the United States from Canada; they were charged with misdemeanors relating to their unlawful entry as part of this case. The other four individuals in the vehicle were identified as Guatemalan citizens with legal status in Canada, and they were returned to Canada following their apprehension.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office notes that a criminal complaint is an accusation only and that the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, the defendant faces up to 5 years of imprisonment on the current charge. Any sentence in the case will be advised by the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. 

U.S. Attorney Nikolas Kerest credited the United States Border Patrol and Homeland Security Investigations for their investigation of Romero-Gil. 

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Lasher and Zachary Stendig represent the government. Romero-Gil is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.