An Iranian man in federal custody died Saturday at a Denver-area hospital of cardiac arrest, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Kamyar Samimi, 64, was taken into ICE custody at his home Nov. 17, 12 years after being convicted of cocaine possession in Arapahoe County, according to a news release. ICE used the cocaine conviction as part of its deportation case.
Samimi became ill the morning of Dec. 2, and emergency medical responders were called. Samimi become “unresponsive,” and CPR was performed. He was taken to University of Colorado Medical Center in Aurora, where he was pronounced dead at 12:20 p.m., the release said.
The preliminary cause of death is cardiac arrest, ICE said.
Samimi on April 19, 1976, entered the United States as a student in New York City. A green card holder, Samimi was a permanent resident of the United States. On Jan. 9, 1987, his application for U.S. citizenship was denied for failure to supply requested documents, ICE said.
On June 9, 2005, Samimi was convicted in Arapahoe County District Court of possessing cocaine. He received a two-year deferred sentence and was ordered to perform 64 hours of community service.
Based on his felony conviction 12 years earlier, ICE deportation officers on Nov. 17 in Denver arrested Samimi at his home. He was served notice to appear before a federal immigration judge with a pending court date when he died in custody.
