Aggravated Felon Sentenced For Reentering The United States

CONTACT:      Barbara Burns
PHONE:         (716) 843-5817
FAX:            (716) 551-3051

BUFFALO, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Horace Garfield Tajah, 35, of Kingston, Jamaica, who was convicted of reentering the United States after a conviction for an aggravated felony, was sentenced to time served (four years) by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Lamarque who handled the case, stated that on January 23, 2013, the defendant attempted to enter the United States from Canada at the Peace Bridge port of entry. Tajah was in possession of a valid United States passport belonging to another individual and claimed to be an American citizen. Standard database checks revealed that the defendant was an aggravated felon following a 2010 conviction in the Southern District of New York on multiple offenses including drug, gun, and conspiracy to commit murder charges. After serving a 72 month prison sentence, Tajah, in 2012, was deported to Jamaica and banned from the United States for life.

The sentencing is the result of an investigation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.