Punjab-origin Uber driver gets 1-year jail for transporting illegal immigrants in US

NEW YORK

A 30-year-old Indian man, who worked as an Uber driver, has been sentenced to a year in prison for knowingly transporting individuals who had entered the US illegally in exchange for money.

Jaswinder Singh most recently resided in Philadelphia. He was sentenced on Thursday to 12 months in prison for knowingly transporting illegal aliens within the United States for the purpose of financial gain, United States Attorney Grant Jaquith said.

Singh admitted that between January 1, 2019 and May 20, 2019, he picked up several aliens whom he knew had crossed illegally into the United States and transported them into the interior of the country, in exchange for payment.

On May 20, 2019, the day he was arrested for this offense, Singh drove to a location in New York state to pick up two aliens – including a child – who had illegally crossed into the United States from Canada. The aliens paid Singh USD 2,200 ( ₹1.57 lakh) after he picked them up. Singh, who previously sought and received asylum in the United States, faces possible deportation as a result of this offence.

United States district judge David N Hurd imposed a 2-year term of supervised release to begin after Singh is released from prison, in the event that Singh is not deported.