LAWFUEL – Law News & Law Jobs Network – R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Jesus Torres, Special Agent in Charge, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Rear Admiral David W. Kunkel, Commander – 7th Coast Guard District, United States Coast Guard, announced today that on October 3, 2006, after a two-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore, a jury in Key West, Florida, found defendant, Steven Melton Kivett, guilty of one (1) count of conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324(a)(1)(A) and six (6) substantive counts of alien smuggling, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1324(a)(1)(A). In addition, Kivett was convicted of entering Cuba illegally, in violation of Title 50, United States Code, Section 192 and Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, Sections 107.215 and 107.230; and with making a false statement to a representative of the executive branch of government, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2).
Kivett faces a maximum statutory sentence of ten (10) years’ imprisonment for the conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens count and a maximum statutory term of five (5) years imprisonment as to each substantive alien smuggling count. Kivett also faces a maximum statutory term of imprisonment of ten (10) years for the count of entering Cuba illegally. Moreover, the defendant may receive up to five (5) years imprisonment for the false representation count.
On June 9, 2006, the United States Coast Guard interdicted a twenty-six (26) foot go-fast vessel approximately twenty nautical miles south of Sugarloaf Key, Florida. Coast Guard officials boarded the vessel and determined that there were a total of six (6) aliens onboard. Steven Melton Kivett was identified as the master of the go-fast vessel. All of the aliens were determined to be Indian nationals who had not received prior official authorization to come to, enter, or reside in the United States.
Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of ICE and the United States Coast Guard. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karen M. Cross.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.usdoj.gov/usao/fls. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
