Share
News

Massachusetts Judge Charged with Helping Illegal Immigrant Evade ICE

Share

A Massachusetts state court judge was indicted Thursday on obstruction of justice charges for allegedly helping a man living in the U.S. illegally to evade a waiting immigration enforcement agent by sneaking out a back door.

District Court Judge Shelley M. Richmond Joseph came under federal investigation last year after authorities said she and a court officer schemed to let the man escape from the Newton courthouse in March 2018.

“From certain corners, I have heard the occasional gasp of dismay or outrage at the notion of holding a judge accountable for violating federal law,” Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling told reporters.

“But if the law is not applied equally, it cannot credibly be applied to anyone.”

Former trial court officer Wesley MacGregor was also charged.

Trending:
Fani Willis Throws a Tantrum to Jim Jordan as Contempt Deadline Arrives

The case caused an uproar on social media.

Tom Fitton, president of the conservative legal group Judicial Watch, called Joseph’s indictment “justice.”

Plenty of people agreed.

Related:
Illegal Immigrant Charged with Raping 'Physically Helpless or Mentally Incapacitated' Girl

Joseph, 51, and MacGregor, 56, were expected to appear in Boston federal court later Thursday.

Prosecutors say an immigration agent was in the courtroom to detain the man following an April 2018 hearing on charges that included drug possession.

Authorities say Joseph asked the agent to leave the courtroom and told him that the suspect, who had been barred from entering the U.S. until 2027, would be released into the courthouse lobby.

Instead, after the hearing, MacGregor led the defendant downstairs to the lockup and let him out the rear door, Lelling said.

The suspect was caught by immigration officials about a month after the hearing, Lelling said, and is now in immigration proceedings.

“Abuses of power hurt us all,” said Peter Fitzhugh, special agent in charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations in Boston.

“It undermines the core mission of government to serve the people. It has no place in a just and accountable society,” he said.

The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
, , , ,
Share
The Associated Press is an independent, not-for-profit news cooperative headquartered in New York City. Their teams in over 100 countries tell the world’s stories, from breaking news to investigative reporting. They provide content and services to help engage audiences worldwide, working with companies of all types, from broadcasters to brands. Photo credit: @AP on Twitter
The Associated Press was the first private sector organization in the U.S. to operate on a national scale. Over the past 170 years, they have been first to inform the world of many of history's most important moments, from the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the bombing of Pearl Harbor to the fall of the Shah of Iran and the death of Pope John Paul.

Today, they operate in 263 locations in more than 100 countries relaying breaking news, covering war and conflict and producing enterprise reports that tell the world's stories.
Location
New York City




Conversation