AKWESASNE -- Brandon Thompson, 30, of Snye, Quebec, Canada, pleaded guilty today, Sept. 28 to failing to obey the commands of Border Patrol while he was operating a boat on the St. Lawrence River, according to Acting United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith.

Thompson admitted that on July 26, 2016, as Border Patrol marine unit agents were directing him to stop and bring his boat alongside a Border Patrol boat for inspection, he instead sped away, disregarding the agents’ commands, Jaquith said.

Agents attempted to stop Thompson because they had observed him enter U.S. waters from Canada, without reporting for inspection, at approximately 10:30 p.m., according to Jaquith.

Thompson faces up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to three years when he is sentenced on Jan. 18 by Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn.

“A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors,” according to a news release from Jaquith’s office.

This case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward P. Grogan.