Opinion ID: 3213240
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Criminal Charges

Text: In March 2008, Sopo began assisting people in obtaining loans to buy used cars. Sopo planned for the loan applicants to use the cars in connection with his business. In order to obtain the loans, Sopo instructed the applicants to include false information about their employment and salary. At least four people obtained car loans at Sopo’s instruction. While federal prosecutors were investigating the loans, Sopo traveled to Cancun, Mexico, purportedly for vacation. A warrant issued while he was there, and Mexican authorities arrested him. In April 2010, Sopo was extradited to the United States. The next month, he signed a plea agreement and pled guilty to four counts of bank fraud. In August 2010, the district court sentenced him to serve 33 months’ imprisonment and pay $147,249.92 in restitution. Sopo served some portion of his federal sentence at a prison in Georgia. On January 17, 2012, ICE served him with a notice to appear (“NTA”), alleging that his bank-fraud convictions were aggravated felonies that made him removable under 8 U.S.C. § 1227(a)(2)(A)(iii).