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Two Logan Court Clerks Charged with Obstructing Immigration Proceedings, Helping Non-Citizen Evade ICE Arrest
Federal prosecutors say the former Logan court clerks used a court database and a back door to help a person with an immigration warrant evade arrest.
On Thursday, federal authorities unsealed an indictment against two former Logan Municipal Justice Court clerks accused of helping undocumented immigrants evade arrest by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in Salt Lake City.
Prosecutors allege that Jennifer Joma, 27, and Lauren Kelsey Morrow, 26, discovered an ICE officer at the courthouse on April 9, misused a database to identify the target, and helped multiple individuals escape through a nonpublic door.
The indictment charges Joma and Morrow with "Obstruction of Proceedings Before Departments and Agencies," "Harboring Illegal Aliens," and "Conspiracy to Transport and Harbor Illegal Aliens," with authorities claiming Joma drove three individuals away from the courthouse.
Logan spokesman George Woodward confirmed the workers resigned following the April 9 incident, stating that city officials "have not made any formal allegations at this point" while awaiting a U.S. Department of Homeland Security investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Todd Bouton is prosecuting the case, which remains under investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, as the defendants face federal charges for alleged efforts to obstruct lawful enforcement of U.S. immigration laws.