Thread: Immigrant smuggler may be deported to China

January 18, 2009, 5:39 p.m.
A.J. FLICK
Tucson Citizen
A California man who was born in Hong Kong may be deported for his role in an interstate human smuggling scheme.

U.S. District Judge Frank R. Zapata sentenced Tim Way "Keith" Tom, 47, on Monday to time served, which was 14 days in custody, and deportation for providing cars used to smuggle Mexicans into California through Arizona.

Tom was ordered to self-surrender to immigration officials in Santa Ana, Calif., in June.

However, because Tom was born in Hong Kong when it was under British rule, now that it belongs to China, the country won't take him, said his lawyer, Harriette Levitt.

Tom is studying engineering to further his chances of employment in hopes that he will be able to stay in the states with his American-born wife and children, Levitt said. Tom has been a legal resident of the United States for more than 20 years, she said.

In September 2005, Tucson agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol came across seven illegal immigrants in a vehicle with California plates registered to Tom's Santa Ana rental company.

The driver identified the coordinator of the smuggling as David Carl Gunderson of Marana. The driver said Gunderson gave him the vehicle, cell phone, $200, directions to the place where the immigrants waited and a contact number in California, which was Tom's business.

On Feb. 15, 2006, ICE agents saw a gray SUV registered to Tom's business pull up to an apartment in Orange, Calif. Fifteen illegal immigrants were found in the apartment.

The next day, undercover Tucson ICE agents went to Tom's company, Action Rental Cars, where one of them asked Tom about renting a vehicle to transport illegal immigrants in Tucson.

Tom told the agent he couldn't take the vehicle to Tucson because things were "very hot" for him, according to the federal complaint against Tom.

Tom told the agent the Mexicans were bailing out of the cars to avoid being caught and that he was trying to avoid cops as well.

The next day, agents saw Tom and his wife, Suzanne Tom, moving boxes out of the office. The couple was arrested; both waived their Miranda rights and gave statements.

Keith Tom said he knew his vehicles were being used to transport illegal immigrants and that he'd gone to Arizona to reclaim his vehicles with Gunderson's help.

Suzanne Tom said she didn't know what was going on, though she suspected the company's vehicles were being used for illegal activity.

Gunderson claimed he was merely helping to collect and repair the vehicles during his August trial. He claimed he didn't know until "late in the game" that he was involved in human smuggling, court records show.

However, Keith Tom and others testified that Gunderson was an active member of the ring and knew as early as 2003 that illegal immigrants were being smuggled in the cars.

Keith Tom testified that he paid Gunderson $100 each for about 30 vehicles he recovered or repaired.

Agents testified that Gunderson had to know the vehicles were used for human smuggling because they had "BP" for Border Patrol written on the windshields when they were towed.

Gunderson was arrested in 2004 for transporting illegal immigrants when he was stopped and there were seven illegal immigrants found lying on the floor of his car.

Gunderson was convicted of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit and will be sentenced Tuesday.

Suzanne Tom was charged with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit and transportation of illegal aliens for profit. Federal prosecutors dropped the charges against her in April.

http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/fromcomments/107947.php

We need to hold China's freight at the harbors or refuse it until they take their illegal aliens back. That or we could send them all back in a Trojan Horse that looks like the Stealth Bomber. They were very eager to accept that and keep it.

Dixie

We need to hold China's freight at the harbors or refuse it until they take their illegal aliens back.

LOVE IT!!!!!!

He was a British subject. Britain should step up to the plate and deal with him.