INDIAN NATIONAL PLEADS GUILTY TO UNLAWFULLY RE-ENTERING THE UNITED STATES AFTER REMOVAL

St. Croix, VI - United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Ashokkumar Prahladbhai Patel, 40, pleaded guilty before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III, to Re-Entry of Removed Alien.

According to court documents, on November 24, 2021, Patel, an illegal alien and Indian national, appeared before U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix for pre-boarding inspection for his flight on Spirit Airlines to Fort Lauderdale, FL. During his inspection, Patel presented a fraudulent Florida driver's license. CBP officers then conducted a database inquiry which revealed that on August 17, 2019, Patel was apprehended and detained by CBP in Tecate, CA, and was processed for expedited removal. Patel was subsequently removed from the United States to India on November 21, 2019. After his removal, Patel did not obtain express consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to re-enter the United States. Patel's sentencing in this matter is scheduled for April 5, 2023, where he faces a term of imprisonment of up to two years. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

The case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston.