Canadian Man Sentenced For Making A False Statement Involving A Smuggling Attempt At The Border

CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE:  (716) 843-5817
FAX #:    (716) 551-3051
 
BUFFALO, N.Y.—U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Tonin Ndoja, 50, a citizen of Canada, who was convicted of making a false statement to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer involving his attempt to smuggle aliens into the United States, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.

Assistant U.S Attorney Scott S. Allen, Jr., who handled the case, stated that on November 12, 2014, Ndoja attempted to enter the United States from Canada at the Peace Bridge. The defendant, a Free and Secure Trade (FAST) card holder and member of the trusted traveler program, was driving a tractor trailer carrying rolled steel. During a secondary inspection, officers with Customs and Border Protection discovered Ndoja and Bardok and Kleda Tusha, both citizens of Albania, hidden inside the cab of the tractor trailer under a blanket.

Defendants Bardok and Kleda Tusha pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of illegal entry and were sentenced to time served.   

The case is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Acting Director of Field Operations Rose Hilmey.