Shawn “Shahram” Sheikhan deportation halted
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Las Vegas Immigration Court Judge Harry L. Gastley ruled Thursday that there is insufficient reason to deport professional poker player Shawn “Shahram” Sheikhan for 12-year-old misdemeanor charges relating to sexual battery and annoyance or molestation of a child.
The Nevada immigration judge said that the documentation provided by the government did not provide the details of what precisely Sheikhan had been convicted, or whether it had been by jury, trial or plea agreement.
“We are hopeful that this is the end of the battle,” said Sheikhan’s attorney, Luther Snavely. “This is a very old situation, and the facts do not justify removal.”
Sheikhan, originally from Iran but a legal permanent resident of the US for 25 years, was arrested in August when he applied for US citizenship and the background check turned up evidence of the conviction. The Department of Homeland Security cited the Immigration and Nationality Act which allows deportation for conviction “of two crimes involving moral turpitude not arising out of a single scheme of criminal misconduct.”
The Department of Homeland Security has until December 17 to appeal the decision.
