Rochester Man Arrested; Charged with Falsely Claiming United States Citizenship

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul, Jr. announced today that Eugene Louis Thompson, 47, of Rochester, N.Y., was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with making a false written statement to the United States and falsely claiming to be a United States Citizen. The false statement charge carries a sentence of up to five years in prison, while the false claim to United States Citizenship carries a sentence of up to three years in prison. Both are also punishable by a fine of up to $250,000.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig R. Gestring, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, the defendant applied for employment with a federal contractor to work in a federal building in the Rochester area. During the application process, Thompson, a citizen and national of Liberia who is unlawfully present in the United States, made false statements on his background paperwork, including falsely claiming to be a United States Citizen.

The defendant made an initial appearance today before U.S. District Court Judge Frank P. Geraci. Thompson was detained, and is due back in court on July 28, 2014 before Magistrate Jonathan W. Feldman.

The criminal complaint is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James C. Spero.

The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.