An Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee died by suicide while in custody after he was found hanging by his neck in the shower room at the Pennsylvania facility where he was being held, according to officials.
Chaofeng Ge, a 32-year-old citizen of China in ICE custody, was pronounced dead by the Clearfield County coroner at approximately 6 a.m. on Tuesday, according to ICE.
Ge was found hanging by the neck and unresponsive in the shower room of his detention pod, ICE said.
Ge’s death was determined to be a suicide after investigators discovered a handwritten note and no foul play was found, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
Staff who discovered Ge immediately lowered him to the ground, began CPR and contacted emergency medical services, state police and the coroner’s office, according to ICE.
Ge had been in ICE custody for only five days and was awaiting a hearing before the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review, ICE said.
Ge was detained at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania.
He was arrested in January at a CVS after the store reported him for fraudulently using a credit card to buy gift cards, according to Lower Paxton Township police. “An investigation was initiated, where Ge was found to be in possession of numerous stolen credit card numbers located within his cell phone,” police said.
Ge was arrested for criminal use of a communication facility, unlawful use of a computer and access device fraud, according to ICE.
ICE Philadelphia’s Enforcement and Removal Operations York sub-office lodged an immigration detainer with the Dauphin County Prison one day after he was arrested.
Ge, who was from Flushing, Queens, pleaded guilty to accessing a device issued to another who did not authorize use and conspiracy to commit the same on July 31, according to ICE, and was sentenced to six to 12 months for each count and granted immediate release to the ICE detainer.
He was then taken into ICE custody and transported to the York ICE office for processing, ICE said.
“ICE remains committed to ensuring that all those in its custody reside in safe, secure, and humane environments,” ICE said in a statement. “Comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment individuals arrive and throughout the entirety of their stay.”
“All people in ICE custody receive medical, dental and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, access to medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care,” ICE said.
The Department of Homeland Security acknowledged in a statement there was an in-custody death at the processing center. “This morning, one detainee passed away at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center. All in-custody deaths are tragic, taken seriously, and are thoroughly investigated by law enforcement,” a senior DHS official told ABC News.
“ICE takes its commitment to promoting safe, secure, humane environments for those in our custody very seriously,” the official said.
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