A man who was stopped on Route 28 in Olive last week, and arrested for possession of a stun gun, was found to be a fugitive from justice wanted by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to the New York State Police.
Arrested on Friday, May 2 by state troopers was 42-year-old Luis Antonio Roman of Philadelphia, PA. Police say he gave a false name and identification upon his arrest. When state troopers learned his real identity, they discovered that he was wanted by ICE for re-entering the U.S. as a deported felon.
Senior Investigator Stan O'Dell of the New York State Police's Kingston barracks, who is overseeing an ongoing investigation into the matter, said that he does not know when or why Roman was deported, or what country he is originally from. "That would have to come from Immigration and Customs Enforcement," he said.
"The defendant was uncooperative. He told us more than one story, none of which can be confirmed," O'Dell said. "It's still an ongoing investigation."
In addition to the charge for the stun gun -- fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon -- Roman now faces charges of second-degree criminal impersonation and second-degree criminal possession of a forged instrument. The federal charge of re-entry into the U.S. as a deported felon also carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.
Roman was arraigned in Kingston town court and remanded to the Ulster County Jail without bail. When the local charges against him are resolved, O'Dell said, ICE will detain him on the federal charges.
