Crime & Safety
Inmate Assaults ICE Deportation Officer In Union County: U.S. Attorney
As a result of the assault by Vasil Petrov, 40, of Bulgaria, the officer required liquid stitches to his chin, said authorities.
ELIZABETH, NJ — An inmate at an ICE facility in Elizabeth admitted to assaulting a U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Vasil Petrov, 40, of Bulgaria, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Karen Williams in Camden federal court to an information charging him with one count of assaulting a federal officer and inflicting bodily injury.
On Dec. 27, 2023, Petrov was at an ICE facility in Elizabeth pending removal from the United States. While being processed for removal, Petrov hit the deportation officer in the chin with a closed fist, according to documents filed in this case and statements made in court.
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As a result of Petrov’s assault, the deportation officer sustained bodily injury, including a laceration on his chin that required liquid stitches, according to authorities.
Petrov faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 27, 2025.
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