ICE deports man convicted in Pennsylvania of attempted criminal homicide and assault to the UK

PHILADELPHIA — A United Kingdom man, convicted of attempted criminal homicide and aggravated assault in Pennsylvania, was deported from the United States May 14. He was escorted to Belfast International Airport by officers with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). The man was ordered removed from the United States by a federal immigration judge.

Samuel Erwin, 50, was convicted of attempted criminal homicide and aggravated assault in March 2003 after he opened fire in an Indiana County, Pa., school where his wife lost her job. Erwin drove to the school administration building, looking for the superintendent, but when he couldn't locate him, Erwin began to randomly shoot at school employees. Erwin was sentenced to four to 10 years in state prison.

Erwin, who has a 2007 final order of removal issued by an immigration judge with the Executive Office for Immigration Review, came into ERO custody at York County Prison based on the final order and his Pennsylvania felony criminal convictions.

"Individuals like Erwin who come to the United States and commit serious crimes will be removed to their home country," said Thomas Decker, field office director for ERO Philadelphia. "Erwin has a violent criminal history and is therefore an ICE priority for removal."

Since Oct. 1, 2009, ERO has removed more than 566 foreign fugitives from the United States who were being sought in their native countries for serious crimes, including kidnapping, rape and murder. ERO works with ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Office of International Affairs, foreign consular offices in the United States, and Interpol to identify foreign fugitives illegally present in the country.