Ethiopian refugee's criminal conviction brings immigration tangle

PROVO, Utah (AP) -- An Ethiopian refugee's conviction on criminal charges could leave him permanently in the hands of U.S. immigration officials.

After deliberating less than two hours, a jury found Kiddus Chane Yohannes guilty on Friday of a third-degree felony for taking his roommate's ATM card.

The card was never used, but the jury agreed with Utah County prosecutors who said no one would have a debit card belonging to another person unless they intended to use it.

The conviction tangles his status as a legal permanent resident. The 20-year-old is in the U.S. on asylum and can't return to his native country.

That could leave the former Utah Valley State College student indefinitely in the hands of U.S. immigration officials, Yahoos' attorney Richard Gale said. An immigration review is expected, he said.

Sentencing on the felony charges, which carry a penalty of up to five years in the state prison, is set for March.

Orem police first arrested Yahoos in June 2007 after his roommates said he watched violent video games and had acquired an arsenal of semiautomatic weapons.

In January a judge dismissed a case that alleged Yohannes has provided false information when purchasing firearms. The judge said purchasing forms were too vague.

The Utah attorney general's office will hear an appeal of the dismissal at the request of prosecutors who disagreed with the judge's ruling.

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Information from: Deseret Morning News

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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