A Bronx man, identified as Miguel Rodriguez, 36, has pled guilty to charges involving a high-speed flight from an immigration checkpoint and illegal ammunition possession, according to a recent announcement by United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III. The incident occurred on January 20, when Rodriguez reportedly drove a red Infinity sedan from Canada to the U.S. Customs Port of Entry in Ogdensburg, New York, only to accelerate away before inspection could take place. The U.S. Department of Justice reports Rodriguez subsequently led the authorities on a high-speed pursuit.
Rodriguez engaged in a chase that came to a climactic end, striking a pickup truck with three people onboard and crashing into a residence in Ogdensburg, but, fortunately, not injuring anyone. Found in his possession was a 12-round handgun magazine containing four 9mm bullets, illegal due to his prior felony assault conviction. Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), along with Ogdensburg Port of Entry Director Thomas Trimboli, joined Sarcone in making the announcement about Rodriguez's admission of guilt.
As part of the aftermath, Rodriguez now confronts a considerable potential penalty that includes a maximum of 15 years in prison for the ammunition charge and up to 5 years for evading the Port of Entry. In addition to prison time, he could also be hit with a fine reaching $250,000 and a supervised release term that could extend to 3 years. His sentencing is scheduled for July 17. These details have been sourced from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of New York.
The investigation of this case was conducted by HSI and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer is in charge of prosecution, putting the force of the law behind the charges against Rodriguez.
