Canadian woman pleads guilty to violating immigration laws

BANGOR, Maine - A woman from Saint Basil, New Brunswick, Canada, pleaded guilty Thursday in U.S. District Court to bringing an illegal alien into the United States.

Lynne Boutot, 43, faces a possible sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The guilty plea, accepted by Chief Judge John A. Woodcock Jr., followed a joint investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Court records reveal that in January 2011 Boutot agreed to illegally transport an alien into the U.S. for $1,500. Boutot picked up the alien in New Brunswick intending to drive her into the United States to a restaurant in Madawaska, Maine. After traveling within minutes of the U.S. border, Boutot ordered the alien to get into the trunk of her vehicle. When Boutot arrived at the Madawaska border crossing, she presented her passport and told the officer she was traveling to Madawaska to purchase gasoline, and she had nothing to declare. However, the alien was discovered when Boutot was selected for secondary inspection, and the inspecting officer opened the trunk.

U. S. Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II, District of Maine, announced that a sentencing date will be scheduled after preparation of a pre-sentence investigation report. The defendant remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.