Frenchman sentenced for lying to Vt. border agents

BC-VT — Border Lie,0126

Frenchman sentenced for lying to Vt. border agents

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BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A man from France has been sentenced for illegally entering the United States and lying to border guards in Vermont, according to the U.S. attorney’s office.

Prosecutors said Phito Gondre, 39, of Clichy Sous Bois arrived at the Highgate Springs port in April and told agents his name was Marcelin St. Pierre and that he spoke only French. But a fingerprint check revealed his real identity and that he had lived in the United States for years, spoke fluent English and had been deported after criminal convictions in Massachusetts, prosecutors said.

Gondre pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six months of time served in prison and two years of supervised release.

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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com