Ex-immigration officer pleads guilty

November 24, 2009 (CHICAGO) Federal authorities say Thomas P. Randell, 37, of Chicago, an officer from 2000 to 2009, admitted that he helped destroy the immigration files of two illegal aliens.

Authorities say Randell also provided a fake immigration stamp for temporary legal resident status to someone eligible for deportation.

Randell was indicted in early 2008 and remains free on bond while awaiting sentencing, which U.S. District Judge Wayne Anderson scheduled for March 25, 2010. Randell faces a maximum of 35 years in prison, but his plea agreement means he will likely be sentenced to 27 - 33 months, federal authorities said.

Authorities say that in 2003, Randell helped two Iraqi citizens stay in the U.S. despite deportation orders. In 2005, authorities say Randell illegally stamped the passport of a Hungarian immigrant whose green card had expired after receiving state felony convictions.

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