Irish national part of 'Irish traveler' scam deported. Here's why
An Irish national who was arrested by Braintree police in the fall on a charge of larceny from an elderly person has been deported back to the Emerald Isle, according to a statement from Enforcement and Removal Operations Boston.
The 25-year-old man was handed over to Irish law enforcement and sent out of the country Jan. 17, according to the Jan. 24 statement. Authorities in Ireland, where he already has criminal convictions, want him on assault charges and open arrest warrants.
“(The man) represented a threat to the residents of our Massachusetts communities, and (Enforcement and Removal Operations) was not going to let him evade justice," said Todd M. Lyons, the agency's Boston field office director. "We cannot allow New England to become a safe haven for the world’s criminals.”
'Irish traveler' scam
The Irish national and another man were arrested this past November in Maynard for taking part in what is described as the "Irish traveler" scam. Another Irish native, arrested in Quincy on Jan. 20 following a traffic stop, is suspected of engaging in the scam on the South Shore.
"These scams usually start with an unsolicited visit to someone's home by a contractor stating they have 'leftover materials' and the person keeps finding more items to repair on your property," a news release from. Quincy police said following the man's arrest.
In that case, police seized over $70,000 in U.S. and foreign currency, foreign identification documents and stolen jewelry.
Quincy police notified the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the case remains under investigation.
The driver was issued a summons to appear in Quincy District Court to face motor vehicle offenses, Quincy police said.
Irish national's timeline − and arrests − in New England
In August 2021, the man who was deported entered the United States at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey with a visa waiver. He later overstayed his admission, the agency's statement said.
In October 2023, Braintree police arrested him for open warrants and charged him with larceny.
Enforcement and Removal Operations learned about his arrest and filed a request to detain him due to his immigration status with Quincy District Court. The court, however, granted the man's release on bail and pretrial conditions.
In November 2023, Maynard police arrested him on charges of larceny, conspiracy and home improvement fraud.
During a routine admission-list screening of all foreign-born inmates at the Norfolk County Sheriff's Department in November 2023, Enforcement and Removal Operations came across his name and lodged another immigration detention request against him, according to the agency's statement.
In December, in Concord District Court, he was sentenced to a one-year suspended sentence, three years of probation and release upon paying $30,000 restitution, the agency said.
Following his release on the same day, the Middlesex County Sheriff’s office transferred him to Enforcement and Removal Operations' custody.
Due to the man's expired visitor status, the agency served him with a deportation order.
What is Enforcement and Removal Operations
According to Enforcement and Removal Operations, the agency removes people without a legal basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, which is a separate entity from the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Immigration judges in those courts make decisions based on the merits of each individual case, determining whether a noncitizen should be deported or is eligible for certain forms of relief from removal.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Irish native part of 'Irish traveler scam' deported
