Another Canadian citizen is facing deportation after being detained in Pennsylvania, the second high-profile immigration case involving a Canadian national in recent weeks.
According to the Bensalem Township Police Department, 25-year-old Ontario resident Kaileigh Hogan is accused of taking a FedEx package containing over $43,000 in gold and silver before attempting to flee the country.
The case follows the recent deportation order issued against Canadian citizen Kaitlyn Tracey, who was ordered removed from the United States after pleading guilty to a simple assault charge coming from an altercation with a teenager on the Point Pleasant Beach beachfront in New Jersey. Tracey had also overstayed her allotted term of admission, according to federal investigators, before being detained by ICE.
Investigators say suspect posed as package recipient
The inquiry began on May 11, when officers responded to an allegation of a stolen FedEx delivery.
Police said the victim was awaiting a cargo containing roughly $43,549 in gold and silver when a lady allegedly approached the delivery driver, claimed ownership of the item, signed for it, and fled before the intended receiver could get it.
According to detectives, a family member witnessed the incident and reported the theft immediately.
Detectives examined surveillance footage, intersection cameras, and license plate reader data before identifying a Nissan vehicle suspected of being involved in the incident. Police discovered that Hogan had rented the vehicle from Enterprise Rent-A-Car at Philadelphia International Airport one day before the alleged crime.
Authorities reported that Hogan returned to the airport shortly after the incident and boarded a trip to Arizona.
Arrested while trying to return to Canada
Because Hogan was in the United States on a Canadian tourist visa, investigators informed Customs and Border Protection after obtaining an arrest warrant.
According to police, Hogan was caught on July 5 while reportedly attempting to cross the border into Canada near Lewiston, New York.
On July 31, the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office extradited her to Bucks County and arraigned her before Magisterial District Judge Michael Gallagher.
Hogan was charged with:
- Forgery.
- Theft by unlawful taking.
- Theft by deception.
The judge ordered bond at 10% of $1 million, or $100,000, to guarantee her release. She is still imprisoned at the Bucks County Correctional Facility.
Immigration consequences may follow criminal case
Hogan’s legal troubles, like those of Tracey in New Jersey, may go beyond the criminal allegations.
Foreign nationals who are convicted of certain crimes or break the terms of their lawful admission to the United States may face immigration enforcement actions once their criminal cases are resolved. Federal immigration officials assess each case individually based on immigrant status, criminal history, and applicable federal legislation.
While police acknowledged that Hogan was in the United States on a visa and worked with Customs and Border Protection during the investigation, federal authorities have not revealed whether separate immigration proceedings have begun.
Hogan has been charged with crimes but not convicted. She is deemed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.
Leave a Reply