Related Federal Cases
- Wall Street Firms, Financial Malfeasance, New York NY, 2023 · Washington
- Christopher Ferguson, Scheme to Inflate Order Numbers, New York NY,… · Washington
- John Smith Pleads Guilty to $1B Embezzlement Scheme, New York NY, 2023 · Alabama
- New York Community Bancorp Takes Over Signature Bridge Bank Deposits · Washington
- Citigroup Inc. Failed Living Will Review, New York NY, 2022 · Washington
Grimy Times Exclusive:
A dual Canadian-American citizen has been extradited to the United States to face charges related to her role in a deadly human smuggling operation.
Stephanie Square, 52, of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation in Canada, was extradited to New York after being arrested in August 2024 at the request of the U.S. government.
According to court documents, Square was the U.S.-based leader of an alien smuggling organization that regularly smuggled aliens across the U.S.-Canada border via the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation.
During the week of March 27, 2023, a prolific Canadian smuggler contacted Square to smuggle a Romanian family of four across the St. Lawrence River into the United States.
Undeterred by the dangerous weather conditions, Square enlisted one of her regular drivers, Dakota Montour, to transport the family via automobile to Timothy Oakes’ residence on Cornwall Island, a notorious staging area for cross-border smuggling operations.
On March 29, 2023, at approximately 9:29PM, Timothy Oakes’ vehicle with a light blue boat in tow, was recorded traveling eastbound away from the Oakes’ residence towards a public boat launch.
The family of four arrived at the Oakes’ residence on March 29, 2023, at approximately 3:35AM, and stayed there until evening. Later that night, they were taken out on the St. Lawrence River in a light blue boat, and their bodies were recovered between March 30 and 31, 2023, by the Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service (AMPS).
HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Square made her initial appearance in court in Plattsburg, New York today, and will face charges of conspiring to engage in alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for profit, and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Human Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
ðŸâ€Â’ Get the grimiest stories delivered weekly. Subscribe free →
MORE FEDERAL CRIME NEWS
US NewsUS NewsUS NewsUS News