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Immigration See other Immigration Articles Title: Former ICE agent convicted of harboring illegal alien, sex, bribes A former federal deportation officer was convicted in court on Thursday for accepting cash bribes and sex in exchange for providing employment authorization documents as well as secretly employing an illegal alien at a hair salon he ran on the side, according to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Newark federal court trial lasted one week and the jury deliberated for one day before convicting Arnaldo Echevarria on six bribery charges, each of which carries a maximum of 15 years in prison and $250,000 fines. He was also convicted of making false statements and harboring an illegal alien, which each carry up to five years in prison. Echevarria, 39, had worked for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE, where he identified, located, arrested and removed illegal immigrants in the U.S. Some illegal aliens are permitted to work in the U.S. leading up to their deportation. As the supervisor of those waiting to be removed from the country, Echevarria took advantage of his position from 2012 to 2014 and offered to request one-year work documents for people slated to be deported in return for bribes. The Somerset, N.J., resident collected approximately $75,000 in bribes and demanded sex from one person. The federal immigration agent lied about the legal status of those whose forms he filled out, writing that they had been granted temporary protected status, a classification for those who came to the U.S. following an environmental disaster, armed conflict or other extraordinary condition. The jury also found Echevarria to be guilty of employing his girlfriend, an illegal immigrant who stole the identity of a Puerto Rican resident, at his hair salon in West Orange, N.J. He opened the salon in December 2012 after receiving permission from ICE and assuring the agency that it would not conflict with his other duties. Echevarria hired his then-girlfriend to manage the salon. Her name was not disclosed, but she used the identity of an individual in Puerto Rico to obtain a Pennsylvania identification card. Echevarria also signed his name on her apartment lease and utility bills so the paper trail would not create any questions for federal agents monitoring him. He paid all of his employees in cash, allowing them to get around employment eligibility paperwork. "This investigation of a former ICE employee underscores our commitment to aggressively identify, investigate and [pursue] all allegations of corruption to ensure the protection our borders and maintain the integrity of the agency. This verdict sends a strong message that those who exploit their positions and our nation's legal immigration system will be held accountable and face severe consequences," Keith Barwick, special agent in charge of ICE OPR Northeast Region, said in a statement. Sentencing is scheduled for June 19. ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility investigated the incidents. Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
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