Thread: Feds charge illegal alien with fraud (Wyoming)

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Feds charge illegal alien with fraud
By TOM MORTON
Star-Tribune staff writer Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Immigration authorities have detained a Casper man charged with fraud and avoiding deportation, according to federal court documents.

Meanwhile, U.S. Magistrate Judge William Beaman bound Indonesian national David Suryadinata over for trial at a hearing in Cheyenne on Tuesday.

Suryadinata, a computer expert and Internet seller of computer equipment, apparently dropped from sight for nearly two years before agents with Department of Homeland Security Immigration-Customs Enforcement caught him last week.

In September 1998, he entered the U.S. on a student visa, which required him to attend school full-time, according to ICE special agent Dustin Wiatrek's affidavit filed in federal court on Friday.

Suryadinata attended Casper College and made the president's honor roll in the mid-1990s and as late as February 2000, according to Star-Tribune archives and an Internet search.

But in May 2003, El Paso, Texas-area border patrol agents stopped him and found his visa had expired.

An immigration judge ordered his deportation. Suryadinata unsuccessfully appealed, and he had until April 6, 2005 to leave the U.S. voluntarily.

Suryadinata didn't leave, had a warrant issued for his arrest and dropped out of sight, according to Wiatrek's affidavit.

Wiatrek doesn't describe how he did it, but he tracked Suryadinata to a business at 1111 E. B St. in Casper -- leased under the name of another person -- on Feb. 5.

That day, ICE agents went to the business and were greeted by a man identifying himself as David Williams -- in reality Suryadinata -- and took him into custody.

A protective sweep of the warehouse and attached offices revealed hundreds of boxes of Dell computers and other items, and 17 credit cards with a dozen different names, according to the affidavit.

After hearing his Miranda rights and agreeing to answer questions, Suryadinata told ICE agents he operated a business called K&M Trading or PowerBargains.com while he was living in Taos, N.M.

"Suryadinata stated that sometime in 2006 he moved the business from Taos, New Mexico to Casper, Wyoming because the cost of living was less expensive and he was hiding from immigration," Wiatrek wrote.

He also set up fictitious addresses in the Portland, Ore., area to deceive immigration authorities if they were looking for him.

He also used a commercial mail receiving agency to forward his mail from Oregon to other addresses including his residence in the 300 block of South McKinley.

Suryadinata's business involved buying computer equipment from large liquidators and reselling the merchandise through eBay. He obtained credit cards using bogus names, using names of other people including his deceased father-in-law and using random Social Security numbers to buy the equipment, according to the affidavit.

ICE charged him with identity theft, use of a false Social Security number and a deportation violation.

If convicted on all counts, Suryadinata faces up to 24 years imprisonment and a $750,000 fine.

The case has been assigned to Chief U.S. District Court Judge William Downes.

Reporter Tom Morton can be reached at (307) 266-0592, or at Tom.Morton@casperstartribune.net.

ID thief, stolen credit cards, disobeying laws. these are jobs that most Americans would not think of doing.