FARGO, N.D. (AP) - A former North Dakota State College of Science basketball player from Algeria is facing deportation.
Touhumi Ghazoul pleaded guilty in February to theft of property for making phone calls on a school-issued calling card. He was given a suspended one-year jail sentence, spent 10 days in jail and was ordered to repay more than $36,000.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Tim Counts says the agency considers a theft conviction with a one-year sentence an aggravated felony. He says that under federal law, someone with a temporary visa who is convicted of an aggravated felony is deported and does not have the right to a hearing.
NDSCS faculty member Harvey Henderson calls the situation "tragic." He says Ghazoul was on track to complete most of his coursework and had an offer to play basketball at the University of Idaho.
