The violent fugitive who bolted from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody at John F. Kennedy International Airport while getting deported to his native Senegal has been captured in Chicago, federal officials say.
What to Know
- A 31-year-old ICE detainee with a record escaped custody Tuesday at JFK, hopped into a taxi and fled the airport, Port Authority says
- He was captured in Chicago Friday after a three-day manhunt, sources say
- ICE says he has prior criminal convictions for multiple weapons and firearms offenses
A Senegalese man has been convicted of escaping from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody at John F. Kennedy International Airport.
A jury in federal court in Brooklyn deliberated for about two hours on Friday before finding Mohamadou Lamine Mbacke guilty of the misdemeanor.
Prosecutors had showed jurors a security videotape of Mbacke dashing through the airport last year after he ducked away from agents preparing to deport him to Senegal for a previous gun offense. Authorities tracked him down three days later in Chicago.
Defense attorney Jan Rostal accused federal authorities of falsely labeling her client as a threat to public safety. After the verdict, she said the case opened up questions about how the government handles deportations.
The conviction carries a sentence of up to one year behind bars.
