Foreigner arrested in Sihanoukville -anyone got more infor?

[taabarang]

In The Cambodia Daily today an article was devoted to the arrest of an American, Ian Andrew Heller. Unfortunately, the reasons for the arrest varied within the article. For example:

1) Police in Preah Sihanouk province arrested a 25-year-old American man Saturday for overstaying his visa, a local police official said Sunday.

2)A post on the National Police Website dated Saturday states that a man named Ian Andrew Heller was arrested for holding an “illegal expired passport” in Sihanoukville.

3)“We arrested one foreigner on Saturday because he had an expired visa, and we sent him to the department of immigration [in Phnom Penh] on the same day,” Kao Ratana, deputy provincial police chief, said Sunday.

Ok, so an illegal overstay and an illegal expired passport aren't the same thing. But here is more food for thought.

"Interior Ministry spokesman Khieu Sopheak said last week that the census—which is part of an effort to enforce a long-neglected law that requires foreigners employed in Cambodia to hold work permits—would also be used to identify non-Vietnamese nationals staying in the country illegally."

So, if anyone has particulars that they can impart, I would like to hear them.
It seems the days are over of paying a fine to leave the country on an overstay.

[PhnomRon]

He was wanted for child rape in the US according to the thread on Khmer440.

[thePeck]

From Visa/Passport problems to child rape, dunno.

[General Mackevili]

SOunds like they were looking for the easiest and fastest way to deport this bad apple.

I'm guessing he'll be shipped back to the States to face the music pretty soon.

[OrangeDragon]

Here's the local article on him from Vancouver:

http://www.columbian.com/news/2014/sep/ ... -cambodia/

A Vancouver man facing child rape charges was arrested in Cambodia on Saturday, six days after he failed to show up for a court appearance in Clark County.

Ian Andrew Heller, 25, was apprehended by local police in Preah Sihanouk province for having an “illegal expired passport,” according to The Cambodia Daily. He was then sent to the department of immigration in Phnom Penh. The passport, according to The Cambodia Daily, was issued in Nebraska, where Heller was born.

The arrest came nearly two months after Heller’s defense attorney and supervised release officer lost contact with him.

Heller is accused of raping a girl multiple times.

When he was released from jail last year, he was ordered to stay with his half-brother, Keith Griffith, in Kelso. Griffith told the officer that Heller moved without letting him know what his new address would be. A bench warrant was issued for Heller’s arrest at the end of July for not reporting his new address as required by law, court documents said.

Then, after not appearing for an Aug. 7 court appointment, prosecuting attorney Patrick Robinson accused Heller of bail jumping. Robinson said he hopes to get Heller back in the country soon.

[General Mackevili]

I'm guessing he'll be shipped back to the States to face the music pretty soon.

Good call, Gonk.





A 25-year-old American man arrested in Sihanoukville on Saturday for holding an expired visa will be extradited to the U.S. to face child-rape charges there, an immigration police official said on Tuesday.

Ian Andrew Heller, who was born in Nebraska, will be sent back to the U.S. as soon as Interior Minister Sar Kheng signs off on the deportation order, said Ouk Hay Seila, director of the investigation and procedure enforcement bureau at the Interior Ministry’s immigration department.

“The U.S. issued warrants to all of their embassies across the world after [Mr. Heller] escaped after being charged with child sex abuse,” he said.

“We initially arrested him because his visa had expired, but we looked at his passport and realized he was the same person,” he said, adding that Mr. Heller is currently being held at the immigration department’s headquarters in Phnom Penh.

Mr. Hay Seila said Mr. Heller originally arrived in Siem Reap City, before traveling to the coastal town of Sihanoukville.

“He wanted to move to Cambodia and act like a normal tourist, as if nothing had ever happened,” Mr. Hay Seila said.

The Columbian newspaper, which covers the state of Washington’s Clark County, reported Monday that Mr. Heller is accused of raping a girl multiple times and had failed to appear in court six days prior to his arrest in Cambodia.

The article also says Mr. Heller previously served jail time in 2013, but does not elaborate.

“When he was released from jail last year, he was ordered to stay with his half-brother, Keith Griffith…. Griffith told the officer Heller moved without letting him know what his new address would be,” the article says.

“A bench warrant was issued for Heller’s arrest at the end of July for not reporting his new address as required by law,” it continues.

The U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh has said it will not comment on Mr. Heller’s case as a matter of policy.

Mr. Heller’s arrest in Sihanoukville on Saturday—announced by the National Police on their website the same day—came in the midst of a new nationwide census that has already resulted in the deportation of dozens of foreign nationals.....

...click link to continue reading...

http://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/man-t ... ges-68116/

By Sek Odom