Shane Millan is accused of forcing women to show him their breasts during virtual interviews and faces four counts of violations of law.
A U.S. border patrol agent has been charged with asking women to show him their breasts when entering the country, federal authorities said.
Shane Millan, 53, has been charged with four counts of violations of law, federal prosecutors in the Northern District of New York said in a press release on Thursday. He intentionally deprived four women of their constitutional right to evade unreasonable searches, prosecutors said.
During the virtual hearing to enter the United States, according to prosecutors, Millan asked three women to “show him their bare torsos” via webcam and asked a fourth woman to expose her breasts to him without losing her bra.
Millan made the demands “for his own satisfaction” and lied to the women, claiming he was conducting lawful searches, prosecutors said.
After Millan was arraigned in Syracuse on Thursday, he was released pending trial.
USA TODAY contacted Millan’s defense attorney at the federal prosecutor’s office on Friday but did not receive a response.
In an emailed statement to USA TODAY, the Border Patrol said, “Maintaining the public’s trust is critical to our mission. CBP does not tolerate misconduct within its ranks. When we discover suspected or potential misconduct, we immediately refer it for investigation and fully cooperate with any criminal or regulatory investigation.”
“This applies whether the alleged misconduct occurs on or off work. Investigations are conducted thoroughly and with appropriate oversight to ensure that appropriate action can be taken when necessary, including cooperation with law enforcement,” the statement continued. “In line with our commitment to transparency, we publish reports whenever possible while complying with legal and privacy constraints.”
