CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y. – Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, announced today that Alfredo S. DePina, 27, who was convicted of attempting to reenter the United States after having been deported subsequent to a conviction for an aggravated felony, was sentenced to 16 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. DePina is a citizen of Cape Verde, an archipelago located about 400 miles off the western coast of Africa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott S. Allen, Jr., who handled the case, stated that on August 23, 2016, the defendant attempted to enter the United States from Canada at the Amtrak Train Station, Niagara Falls Port of Entry. DePina presented identification to a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Enforcement Officer who conducted a primary electronic name query. The query and a subsequent fingerprint match confirmed that the defendant had been previously deported from the United States in August 2010 and barred for life after he was convicted in Massachusetts of inducing a person under 18 to have sexual intercourse.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the United States Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.