Dumbass of the Week - Niagara River Boatman: Knowledge Driven Revolution

A Canadian man who was rescued from a raft on the Niagara River pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegally entering the United States but said he was only trying to pay a bill - as he had done numerous times before.

"I didn't realize the severity, I didn't really even realize it was a crime," said Wayne Kingwell, 40, of Fort Erie, Ont., who told U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder he suffered hypothermia and frostbite during the excursion.

"It's been a horrible ordeal for me and I've certainly learned my lesson," he said.

Kingwell was arrested Monday morning after rescuers used a rope to pull his neoprene raft to shore after it became hung up in ice on the river about eight kilometres south of Niagara Falls.

He told authorities he was bound for a bank in Buffalo to make a credit card payment and had taken the rubber raft because he'd been turned away at the area's international bridges. He was carrying more than US$4,000.

"He wanted to maintain his good credit in the United States," public defender Kimberly Schechter said.

Schroeder, after spending several minutes questioning Kingwell to determine his competency, sentenced him to time served - about 2½ days.

"Your actions, if perhaps not the wisest, were not done with evil intent," the judge said.

Kingwell was released into the custody of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to be deported.

In an interview after the hearing, Kingwell said he had crossed the river by raft or three-metre boat numerous times before but ran into problems this time because of the weather. Monday was one of the coldest days of the year with freezing temperatures and wind chills.

"Normally, it's routine," said Kingwell, who said he was briefly in the Canadian coast guard about 20 years ago.

With winds compacting the ice on the river, Kingwell said, his raft became hung up and he did not want to risk tearing it by trying to paddle through the ice.

Someone on shore called 911 after spotting him about 7:15 a.m. EST. State troopers threw him a rope and pulled him in. He was treated at a hospital for exposure. He told authorities he had set out in the raft about 4:30 a.m.

When asked how often he crossed the river in his raft or boat, he said: "I don't even know how many times."

Schroeder told Kingwell while the case might seem "laughable and easily dismissed" to some, Sept. 11, 2001 had underscored the necessity of a secure border.

"It is the underlying concept that is one of seriousness," the judge said.

The U.S. Border Patrol refused Kingwell entry at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls on April 3, 1995 because he'd been convicted in Canada of possessing stolen property obtained by fraud, a court filing said. A day later, he was arrested for entering the United States across a railway bridge and sent home.

Kingwell said he is of the pre-Sept. 11 era, when travel between the countries was easier.

"I, of course, know now that the United States is very, very touchy about its border," he said.

Read Today's Knowledge Driven News
HOME George Bush Sr. The New World Order Parrot Party Police, Party Courts and Concentration Camps P3s, Nazis and Polite Canadian Fascism The Ghost in the Machine - The Forced Chemical Evolution of Man Rouge States and the 9/11 Truth Terrorists Canadians Should Pay NOT to be Poisoned: NDP V for Vendetta - R for Reality Canadian Bird Flu Pandemic Looming? Shill of the Week: Stephan Harper The Number 1 Reason YOU became a Slave	Dumbass of the Week: Niagara River Boatman Canadian man admits trying to enter U.S. illegally on raft to pay bill CAROLYN THOMPSON - AP February 12, 2007 A Canadian man who was rescued from a raft on the Niagara River pleaded guilty Wednesday to illegally entering the United States but said he was only trying to pay a bill - as he had done numerous times before. "I didn't realize the severity, I didn't really even realize it was a crime," said Wayne Kingwell, 40, of Fort Erie, Ont., who told U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder he suffered hypothermia and frostbite during the excursion. "It's been a horrible ordeal for me and I've certainly learned my lesson," he said. Kingwell was arrested Monday morning after rescuers used a rope to pull his neoprene raft to shore after it became hung up in ice on the river about eight kilometres south of Niagara Falls. He told authorities he was bound for a bank in Buffalo to make a credit card payment and had taken the rubber raft because he'd been turned away at the area's international bridges. He was carrying more than US$4,000. "He wanted to maintain his good credit in the United States," public defender Kimberly Schechter said. Schroeder, after spending several minutes questioning Kingwell to determine his competency, sentenced him to time served - about 2½ days. "Your actions, if perhaps not the wisest, were not done with evil intent," the judge said. Kingwell was released into the custody of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to be deported. In an interview after the hearing, Kingwell said he had crossed the river by raft or three-metre boat numerous times before but ran into problems this time because of the weather. Monday was one of the coldest days of the year with freezing temperatures and wind chills. "Normally, it's routine," said Kingwell, who said he was briefly in the Canadian coast guard about 20 years ago. With winds compacting the ice on the river, Kingwell said, his raft became hung up and he did not want to risk tearing it by trying to paddle through the ice. Someone on shore called 911 after spotting him about 7:15 a.m. EST. State troopers threw him a rope and pulled him in. He was treated at a hospital for exposure. He told authorities he had set out in the raft about 4:30 a.m. When asked how often he crossed the river in his raft or boat, he said: "I don't even know how many times." Schroeder told Kingwell while the case might seem "laughable and easily dismissed" to some, Sept. 11, 2001 had underscored the necessity of a secure border. "It is the underlying concept that is one of seriousness," the judge said. The U.S. Border Patrol refused Kingwell entry at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls on April 3, 1995 because he'd been convicted in Canada of possessing stolen property obtained by fraud, a court filing said. A day later, he was arrested for entering the United States across a railway bridge and sent home. Kingwell said he is of the pre-Sept. 11 era, when travel between the countries was easier. "I, of course, know now that the United States is very, very touchy about its border," he said. Read the full article here Broken Link? If the link to the original article is broken or has been altered you can view the article by clicking here. About KDR \| \| Home \| \| Weekly Features Archive	Weekly Features Archive
		What Is Wrong With Canada ? Recent 9-11 News Suppressed by the Media Aspartame: The Sweetest Killer The Number 1 Reason YOU became a Slave Knowledge Driven Look at Your Favourite Canadian Political Parties
		June July August 2006 30 31 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 01 02 Weekly Features 2006 2005 Read Today's Knowledge Driven News
		Counter
Copyright © 2005-7 KnowledgeDrivenRevolution.com

Dumbass of the Week: Niagara River Boatman

Canadian man admits trying to enter U.S. illegally on raft to pay bill