Chaofeng Ge, a 32-year-old citizen of China, was pronounced dead at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, after jailers found him hanging by the neck in a shower room. Ge was facing removal from the United States after his conviction for charges related to a credit card fraud scheme earlier this year.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Ge had been in custody for five days and was awaiting a removal hearing before the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). Staff members of the ICE detention facility found Ge hanging by the neck in the shower room of his detention pod at 5:21 a.m. on Tuesday. The staff members lowered Ge to the ground and administered CPR as they awaited EMS arrival.
Attempts to revive Ge were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced deceased by the Clearfield County coroner at approximately 6:03 a.m. The cause of death is under investigation, according to ICE.
Ge had been transferred to the ICE facility after a detainer was issued to the facility as a result of criminal charges filed by Lower Paxton Township police related to a credit card fraud scheme.
According to the Lower Paxton Township Bureau of Police, officers from their department encountered Ge at a CVS pharmacy after receiving a report that a male suspect was attempting to use fraudulent credit cards to purchase gift cards. According to an investigation by police officers, Ge was found to have numerous stolen credit card numbers found on his cell phone.
Ge was charged with Criminal Use of a Communication Facility, Unlawful Use of a Computer Device, Access Device Fraud, and Theft by Deception. He was remanded to Dauphin County Prison after his bail was set at $150,000. ICE Philadelphia’s Enforcement and Removal Operations lodged an immigration detainer with the Dauphin County Prison due to Ge’s immigration status.
In July, Ge pleaded guilty to accessing a device issued to another without authorization and to conspiracy to commit the same offense. He was sentenced to six to 12 months for each count and granted immediate remand to the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), which had filed a detainer. ERO officers took Ge into custody and transferred him to the Moshannon Valley Processing Center.
As required by ICE policy, the DHS Office of Inspector General and the ICE Office of Professional Responsibility, both internal affairs investigative entities for DHS, were notified of the death of Ge. According to ICE, notification was also provided to the Chinese Embassy.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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