Former Miss Rhode Island Arrested and Pleads Guilty to Fraud
GoLocalProv News Team
Former Miss Rhode Island Arrested and Pleads Guilty to Fraud
Strout, 36, has been convicted of lying to get into a federal immigration detention center in Miami to see her romantic partner. Strout has served as a North Bay Village City Commissioner since November 2018. Her term expires this November.
Strout pleaded guilty to a federal information charging her with attempting to enter, and entering, a federal facility using fraud and false pretenses.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTIn October 2021, Krome Service Processing Center (Krome) temporarily suspended social visits due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Legal visits, however, were permitted.
Three times in October 2021, Strout entered Krome by lying to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials about her reason for visiting. Strout told officials that she worked as a paralegal for a particular law firm and that she needed to visit a detainee to have legal documents signed. In addition, Strout presented officials with a letter on the law firm’s letterhead.
In fact, the law firm never authorized Strout to use its letterhead or visit Krome on its behalf. Strout had never worked for the law firm.
Instead, she was romantically involved with the detainee.
On one occasion, after initially being denied entry, Strout presented to officers at Krome her North Bay Village Commissioner badge, explained that she was a public official, and asked to enter Krome on that basis.
Immediately following the guilty plea, Strout was sentenced to one-year probation and 50 hours of community service.
Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Garrett J. Ripa, Field Office Director, ICE, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Miami Field Office, and Robert M. DeWitt, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.