US Inspector pleaded guilty took bribes for Indian immigrants

 

 

NEWARK, N.J, April 23, 2004

A federal inspector at Newark Liberty International Airport pleaded guilty Friday to taking a $4,000 bribe to help smuggle nearly 200 immigrants from India into the United States. Terence Walden, 35, admitted taking part in a scheme to whisk the immigrants past customs officials.

Walden, a senior inspector with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, said he split the 1993 payoff with another inspector, now awaiting trial. Walden could get up to 15 years in prison at sentencing Aug. 9


On Dec 9, 2003, US authorities arrested three Indians and an American customs official and have charged them with sneaking in illegal immigrants in exchange for money. Federal authorities charged customs inspector, Otis Rackley and his Indian 'recruiters' Sudhir Passi, Shripad Shroti and Chetna Pandya with conspiracy which could lead to prison terms between five and 10 years.

The immigration racket came to light when Passi and Shroti reportedly approached a passenger, a government informant, and offered to sneak him into the US for USD 4,000 in August last year, New Jersey daily 'Star Ledger' reported.

Rackley allegedly whisked the informant past the customs counter on his arrival at the Newark Liberty International Airport last month, asking him to "look sad", to pretend he had come to America for a family medical emergency, prosecutors told a New Jersey court last week.

Rackley also promised to secure a green card for the informant to legally remain in the country, they said. The informant received an Alien Documentation Identification Telecommunications System stamp on his passport, which gives immigrants temporary legal status for the money he paid the accused.

Authorities claimed Pandya arranged for illegal immigrants to arrive in Newark when Rackley was on duty. Documents filed before the court show that federal agents overheard Rackley arrange to smuggle in seven aliens in just one week last month.

The illegal immigrants allegedly paid Rackley USD 5,000 to stamp their ADIT passport stamp and another USD 3,000 for an admission stamp that let them enter the country.

The investigation, which included months of surveillance and phone wiretaps, began when the informant told agents about Rackley in June, according to affidavits from Special Agents Thomas Adams and John Fitch. Investigators said they were still tallying the number of immigrants that they believe Rackley helped sneak in or stay illegally.

"Rackley essentially held a key to the gates of the United States and sold access to people willing to buy their way over our borders," US Attorney Christopher Christie said. Assistant US Attorney Scott Resnik, the prosecutor on the case, said investigators believed Rackley took payoffs from "upwards of 200" illegal immigrants. In three recorded meetings this year, including one on Sept. 11, the informant gave Rackley more than USD 10,000 for illegal passport stamps and resident cards, prosecutors said.


Among the Indians arrested, Sudhir Passi (38) is a car dealership employee from Edison while Shripad Shroti (47) is a restaurant worker from Metuchen.