St. Croix, USVI - U.S. Attorney Gretchen C.F. Shappert announced that a Colombia national appeared before Magistrate Court Judge George W. Cannon, Jr. for an initial hearing on criminal charges related to his alleged attempted illegal entry into the continental United States.
According to court documents, on December 8, 2021, at the Henry E. Rohlsen airport on St. Croix, Andres Bejarano, age 33, presented to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers for inspection to board a flight from St. Croix to Florida with a Florida driver's license. It was later determined that this license belonged to his brother, Daniel Bejarano. When questioned, Bejarano claimed to be a U.S. Citizen. He later claimed to have a green card. He subsequently admitted that he was using his brother's ID because he was aware that he had an active warrant for his arrest. After being referred to secondary screening, CBP officers conducted a baggage inspection. Officers discovered that Bejarano dropped a black pouch under his seat that contained Ketamine, a schedule III controlled substance, and MDMA, a schedule I controlled substance.
As a result, Bejarano was charged by criminal complaint with Falsely Representing to be a Citizen of the United States, False Statements, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Simple Possession of a Controlled Substance. If convicted, Bejarano faces a up to a potential 5 years in prison and subsequent deportation. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel H. Huston is prosecuting the case.
United States Attorney Shappert reminds the public that a criminal complaint is merely a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
