SYRACUSE, NEW YORK - Jaswinder Singh age 30, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, has been charged in federal court in Syracuse with transporting aliens in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that the aliens were in the United States illegally, announced United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and U.S. Border Patrol Swanton Sector Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia.
A criminal complaint filed in United States District Court charges Singh with transporting two aliens who were without lawful status in the United States, and alleges that he received approximately $2,200 as payment for his services. The complaint further alleges that an agent from the United States Border Patrol stopped Singh’s vehicle in St. Lawrence County near the Canadian border, after a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Unit helicopter spotted multiple people entering a vehicle in the area after crossing the St. Lawrence River from Canada into the United States.
The charge filed against Singh carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The defendant was arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge David E. Peebles, and ordered detained pending resolution of the charges.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the United States Border Patrol with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO), and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Perry.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
