CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y.- Acting U.S. Attorney James P. Kennedy, Jr. announced today that Horace Garfield Tajah, 35, of Kingston, Jamaica, pleaded guilty to reentering the United States after a conviction for an aggravated felony before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Lamarque who is handling the case, stated that on January 23, 2013, the defendant attempted to enter the United States from Canada at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry. Tajah was in possession of a valid United States passport belonging to another individual and claimed to be an American citizen. Standard database checks revealed that Tajah was an aggravated felon. In 2010, Tajah was convicted in the Southern District of New York of multiple charges including drug, gun, and conspiracy to commit murder charges. The defendant was sentenced to 72 months in prison, and after serving his sentence was deported to Jamaica on December 28, 2012, and banned from the United States for life.
The plea is the result of an investigation by United States Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 5, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Vilardo.