Customs and Border Protection employee arrested, charged with raping woman in 2021

A United States Customs and Border Protection employee has been charged with raping a 20-year-old woman in April 2021 and told her not to report the incident to law enforcement because he was worried about his employment.

Arandeep Dhaliwal, 30, of Ferndale, was charged on Jan. 31 in Whatcom County Superior Court with one count of third-degree rape, a felony. He pleaded not guilty to the charges on Feb. 9, according to court records.

Dhaliwal was released on his personal recognizance at his first appearance in court on Jan. 29, and is currently out of custody.

A sexual assault protection order has been put in place between Dhaliwal and the victim.

As part of his release conditions, Dhaliwal is not allowed to possess, own or use firearms or other deadly weapons. He is being allowed to travel between the United States and Canada to assist two family members with medical care, court documents show.

His jury trial has tentatively been scheduled for April 22.

Bob Butler, Dhaliwal’s defense attorney, declined to comment on the case at this time.

The Bellingham Herald has reached out to the Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for comment.

The Ferndale Police Department does not know if there are additional victims, but encourages them to come forward if so, Ferndale police spokesperson Megan Juenemann told The Herald.

Ferndale police confirmed that Dhaliwal worked for Customs and Border Protection at the time of the police investigation and his arrest on Jan. 29, Juenemann said.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Jason Givens has not responded to repeated requests from The Herald to verify Dhaliwal’s employment with the agency and has not responded to repeated questions from The Herald regarding whether the agency was aware of the allegations against Dhaliwal, whether an internal investigation has been started, whether he’s been placed on leave, or whether the agency has received any complaints regarding Dhaliwal’s conduct or interactions with women.

The crime

In mid-April 2021, Dhaliwal raped a woman in the 1600 block of Main Street in Ferndale after attempting to pressure her into having sex with him, according to court records.

Between the hours of 8 and 10 p.m. on April 16, 2021, Dhaliwal, then age 27, met with a then 20-year-old woman in a parking lot of a Ferndale business.

Dhaliwal and the woman had previously had consensual sexual encounters in Dhaliwal’s truck.

The woman told the Ferndale Police Department there was no implied sex the evening of April 16, and said she told Dhaliwal they would not be having sex, according to court records.

Dhaliwal agreed but told the woman they would still have a sexual encounter. The woman again told Dhaliwal no.

Dhaliwal started removing the woman’s clothing as she pushed him away and repeatedly told him no. He then raped the woman, court documents state.

The woman told police she “stopped fighting against” Dhaliwal, and that she didn’t know what to do, the records show.

The two then parted ways after the assault.

Sometime within the two weeks following the assault, the woman contacted and met with Dhaliwal to “tell him that what he did was upsetting and she was done with him,” court documents state.

While the woman was telling Dhaliwal this, he allegedly told her that she could not report the incident to law enforcement. The woman told police she was aware Dhaliwal worked for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and “felt that she shouldn’t report the sexual assault because he told her that it would ruin his life and he’d be fired,” according to the records.

The woman then went to the Western Washington University clinic in late April 2021 to be examined and tested for sexually transmitted infections. The woman reported to medical staff that she had been sexually assaulted.

The woman told police she had a friend recently go through a similar situation, and she felt compelled to come forward and report Dhaliwal to law enforcement.

The woman was able to identify Dhaliwal and his vehicle from photographs provided to her by law enforcement, court documents state.

Dhaliwal declined to make any statements when contacted by Ferndale police.

He turned himself into police around 5 a.m. on Jan. 29 and was booked into the Whatcom County Jail without incident. He was released later that evening after his first appearance in court, court and jail records show.

Resources

▪ Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org

Brigid Collins Family Support Center professionals are on-call between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, to answer questions about children, families, abuse prevention or treatment at (360) 734-4616.

▪ Child Protective Services: Washington state hotline for reporting child abuse and neglect, 866-829-2153.

▪ Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.

▪ Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.

▪ Tl’ils Ta’á’altha Victims of Crime: 360-325-3310 or nooksacktribe.org/departments/youth-family-services/tlils-taaaltha-victims-of-crime-program/

▪ Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.

▪ WWU Consultation and Sexual Assault Support Survivor Advocacy Services: 360-650-3700 or wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence/.

If you or a child is in immediate danger, call 911 and make a report to law enforcement.

To report child abuse or neglect call 1-866-END HARM.