Nigerian National Sentenced For Resisting Deportation Orders

ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that Emmanuel Nwankwo, 54, of Nigeria, was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Dee D. Drell to 24 months in prison for impeding or hampering his deportation.

On May 21, 2013, after a two-day trial, a jury found Nwankwo guilty for impeding or hampering his deportation. Witness testimony and documents admitted into evidence at trial revealed that U.S. Immigration Enforcement Agents brought Nwankwo to the Alexandria International Airport on December 11, 2012 and attempted to put him on a commercial flight.  The defendant began yelling and physically resisting officers, which prevented him from boarding the flight because of airline and Transportation Security Administration policies.

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth D. Reeg and Cytheria D. Jernigan prosecuted the case.