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Charlotte High Schooler Facing Deportation Enters Plea Deal For Criminal Charges

Sarah Delia

It’s not often that we cover stories involving the theft of less than $3,000, but the case of 18-year-old Gus Zamudio is different because it involves immigration. Zambudio had been living in Charlotte under the DACA program, which is for immigrants who arrived in the country as children. His arrest on a felony charge last month prompted immigration officials to initiate deportation proceedings to Mexico as part of a new Trump administration policy. The previous policy had been to wait until conviction.

Zamudio pleaded guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor. His lawyers hope the plea bargain aids his deportation case. 

Gus Zamudio wasn’t in court on Tuesday, but he had a pretty good excuse. He’s currently being held in a detention center in Lumpkin, Georgia. He's been there for about a month.

Both sides recognized there was evidence that showed Zamudio took money from Harris Teeter from a self-checkout register. Prosecutors referred to video footage that was not shown in court.

Zamudio’s mother listened intently. She later spoke through an interpreter and said she still couldn’t believe her son took the money.

Zamudio’s lawyers presented the judge with several letters from friends and family speaking to his character.  They also pointed out that restitution to Harris Teeter has been paid.

Judge Alicia Brooks granted Zamudio a Prayer for Judgment. In legalese this basically means although Zamudio entered a guilty plea, the judge won’t issue a punishment.

Following the hearing, Rob Heroy, an attorney for Zamudio, told reporters he believed the lesser misdemeanor charge might give Zamudio a chance to make bond in Georgia.

"It's no longer a felony, it's a misdemeanor and a

Prayer for Judgment," Heroy said, "I think that's different than someone who has a felony charge against them. Ultimately, that's a question for the judges down in Georgia."

The next step is for this new information to be passed along to his immigration attorneys so they can use it for his next immigration hearing, although it’s not clear when that will be. 

Sarah Delia is a Senior Producer for Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins. Sarah joined the WFAE news team in 2014. An Edward R. Murrow Award-winning journalist, Sarah has lived and told stories from Maine, New York, Indiana, Alabama, Virginia and North Carolina. Sarah received her B.A. in English and Art history from James Madison University, where she began her broadcast career at college radio station WXJM. Sarah has interned and worked at NPR in Washington DC, interned and freelanced for WNYC, and attended the Salt Institute for Radio Documentary Studies.
Nick de la Canal is an on air host and reporter covering breaking news, arts and culture, and general assignment stories. His work frequently appears on air and online. Periodically, he tweets: @nickdelacanal