Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont reported that on June 13, 2025, Joshua Ian Fudge, a Canadian citizen aged 30, and his wife Karen Melissa Rodriguez Valverde, a Costa Rican citizen aged 24, pleaded guilty to criminal charges of illegally entering the United States. They were sentenced to time served. Both faced a potential maximum prison term of six months.
Court records reveal that at approximately 2:55 p.m. on June 12, 2025, electronic surveillance detected two individuals with backpacks on “Pee Wee’s” bridge in Canaan, Vermont. This location is near the U.S./Canada border and is often used for illegal crossings into the United States. U.S. Border Patrol agents contacted them shortly after receiving the alert from the electronic surveillance system. Identification provided by Fudge and Rodriguez Valverde confirmed their nationalities as Canadian and Costa Rican respectively. Further review of immigration records showed that Fudge was deemed inadmissible on November 4, 2024, at Newark International Airport after he admitted during pre-entry questioning to having previously worked in New Jersey without an appropriate immigrant visa.
Acting United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher praised the efforts of the United States Border Patrol and United States Customs and Border Protection.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Turner. Fudge was represented by Lisa Shelkrot, Esq., while Rodriguez Valverde was represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, an initiative aimed at combating illegal immigration and protecting communities from violent crime through coordinated efforts by various Department of Justice resources.
