A dual Canadian American citizen who was extradited from Canada pleaded guilty today for her role in a human smuggling conspiracy that resulted in the deaths of a family, including two children under the age of three, in the St. Lawrence River.
“Aliens attempting to enter the United States illegally across the U.S.-Canada border are exposed to a range of dangers at the hands of human smugglers trying to capitalize on the misfortunes and misplaced hopes of others,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Here, in the face of known dangers, the defendant directed her co-conspirators to smuggle a family with young children across the St. Lawrence River on a cold, windy night with limited visibility. The dangers materialized into a preventable and tragic loss of life.”
“Alien smuggling preys on vulnerable migrants and undermines the integrity of our nation’s laws,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “Since taking office, my team and I have aggressively pursued dozens of defendants for immigration‑related offenses along the northern border. This defendant and their co-conspirators showed a blatant disregard for human life, our laws, and the safety of our communities. We remain unwavering in our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to protect and secure our northern border.”
“Human smuggling organizations show a reckless disregard for the safety and well-being of those they transport, often resulting in devastating consequences,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo. “After this smuggling attempt resulted in the death of a family, HSI Massena and our partners conducted a thorough investigation, tracking the conspirators, recovering evidence, and securing extraditions. Protecting vulnerable individuals and dismantling transnational criminal organizations are central to HSI’s mission, and we remain committed to preventing tragedies like this and bringing those responsible to justice.”
According to court documents, Stephanie Square, 53, from the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Territory in Canada, was the U.S.-based leader of an alien smuggling organization (ASO), that regularly smuggled aliens across the U.S.-Canada border via the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation. During the week of March 27, 2023, a prolific Canadian smuggler contacted Square to smuggle a Romanian family of four across the St. Lawrence River into the United States. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Square recruited multiple co-conspirators to assist with the smuggling of the family, though one refused to assist due to the high winds on the St. Lawrence River that night. Undeterred by the dangerous weather conditions, Square enlisted one of her regular drivers, Dakota Montour, to transport the family via automobile to Timothy Oakes’ residence on Cornwall Island, a notorious staging area for cross-border smuggling operations. Despite Square’s knowledge of the weather conditions on the St. Lawrence River at that time — including high winds, freezing temperatures, and limited visibility — the defendant insisted the aliens be transported so that she would be paid.
The family of four arrived at the Oakes’ residence on March 29, 2023, at approximately 3:35AM, and stayed there until evening. On March 29, 2023, at approximately 9:29PM, Timothy Oakes’ vehicle with a light blue boat in tow, is recorded traveling eastbound away from the Oakes’ residence towards a public boat launch on the tip of Cornwall Island where a different boat pilot, Casey Oakes, picked them up and attempted to take the family across the St. Lawrence River. While in transit, the boat capsized due to severe weather. As a result, the Romanian family and Casy Oakes died.
Between March 30 and 31, 2023, AMPS conducted a riverine search and recovered the bodies of the Romanian family of four, including two small children. AMPS also recovered Oakes’ light blue boat. The body of the boat captain, Casey Oakes, was found eight months later.
Square pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit alien smuggling, four counts of alien smuggling for financial gain and four counts of alien smuggling resulting in death. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 25. She faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Co-conspirators Dakota Montour, 32, and Kawisiiostha Celecia Sharrow, 45, both of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian reserve, New York, Janet Terrance, 46, of Hogansburg, New York, and Timothy Oakes, 35, from the Akwesasne Mohwak Indian reserve, entered guilty pleas on Jan. 23, 2025, Oct. 8, 2024, March 6, 2025, and May 11, 2026, respectively. Square and co-conspirator Rahsontanohstha Delormier, also known as Storm, 31, of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Territory in Canada, were extradited to the United States from Canada in 2025 at the request of the United States. Delormier pleaded guilty on June 26.
HSI Massena engaged in an extensive years-long investigation of the case, with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C., CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force, New York State Police, Canada Border Services Agency, Akwesasne Mohawk Police Service, St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police Department, Ontario Provincial Police, Sûreté du Québec, St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department, Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Cornwall Police Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Delormier and Square.
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