U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers arrested Jon Luke Evans, a Jamaican national, in Biddeford, Maine, on July 25 after he attempted to unlawfully purchase a firearm. Evans was employed as a reserve police officer with the Old Orchard Beach Police Department at the time of his arrest.
The arrest was carried out by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Boston in partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). According to ICE officials, Evans admitted that he tried to buy the firearm for use in his duties as a police officer. The attempt triggered an alert to ATF agents, who coordinated with ICE for the arrest.
“Jon Luke Evans not only broke U.S. immigration law, but he also illegally attempted to purchase a firearm. Shockingly, Evans was employed as a local law enforcement officer,” said ICE ERO Boston acting Field Office Director Patricia H. Hyde. “The fact that a police department would hire an illegal alien and unlawfully issue him a firearm while on duty would be comical if it weren’t so tragic. We have a police department that was knowingly breaking the very law they are charged with enforcing in order to employ an illegal alien. ICE Boston will continue to prioritize public safety by arresting and removing criminal alien threats from our New England communities.”
Evans entered the United States legally on September 24, 2023, through Miami International Airport but overstayed his visa after failing to depart on October 1, 2023.
In April, ICE officers arrested Gratien Milandou Wamba in Falmouth under similar circumstances. Wamba is a citizen of Congo who was working as a corrections officer and allegedly attempted to illegally purchase a firearm before being taken into custody for immigration violations.
ICE encourages members of the public to report crimes or suspicious activity by calling 866-DHS-2-ICE or using their online tip form.
More information about ICE’s efforts related to public safety can be found on their X account @EROBoston.
