Andrew Golobic, Sex Trafficking, Ohio 2020

Former ICE Deportation Officer Guilty of Sex Trafficking

A federal jury has convicted a former ICE deportation officer of sex trafficking and other federal crimes related to depriving immigrant victims of their civil rights in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Andrew Golobic, 52, of Cincinnati and Mason, Ohio, was found guilty on four counts including obstructing a sex trafficking investigation, deprivation of rights under color of law, witness tampering, and destruction of records in a federal investigation.

The verdict was announced this evening following a trial that began on January 8 before Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. The jury began deliberations on January 19 and found Golobic guilty on four of seven counts.

Golobic was convicted of depriving a woman under his supervision in the U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Alternatives to Detention (ATD) program of her fundamental right to bodily integrity, by forcing her to engage in nonconsensual sex. ATD allows certain asylum seekers and other immigrants who ICE has determined pose a low risk to public safety to remain in their communities while their immigration cases are pending.

Golobic was employed as a deportation officer with ICE from 2006 to 2020 and was assigned to the ICE office in Blue Ash, Ohio. He was assigned to the ATD program from approximately 2015 to 2020. In his role, Golobic supervised immigrants with vulnerable backgrounds including those fleeing violence, exploitation, and sexual assault.

Golobic's sentence will be determined by the Court based on federal sentencing guidelines and other factors at a future hearing.

The case was announced by Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and John R. Pias, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General (DHS-OIG).

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdoh/pr/jury-finds-former-deportation-officer-guilty-federal-crimes-related-depriving