Jury convicts Nepali illegal alien for refusing to comply with a deportation order

BROWNSVILLE, Texas — A citizen of Nepal was convicted on Thursday on four counts of failing to comply with his order of deportation. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

On Oct. 6, 2010, Budha, 28, entered the United States without authorization and was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Border Patrol agents near Brownsville, Texas. On Nov. 4, 2010, a U.S. immigration judge ordered Budha removed from the United States. On four separate occasions Budha refused to complete an application for a Nepali passport, attempting to thwart his deportation.

Budha's refusal to comply with the law resulted in his April 2011 indictment and then a superseding indictment in July 2011. In February 2011 Budha was transferred from ICE ERO custody into the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service. His sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 11. He will remain in federal custody without bond until then.

Budha faces a maximum of four years in federal prison without parole on each of the four counts of his conviction, and a $250,000 fine for refusing to comply with the deportation order.

Om Prakash Budha's conviction was announced U.S. Attorney José Angel Moreno, from the Southern District of Texas.