The Immigrant and Refugee Law Center, serving low-income immigrant and refugee families in Greater Cincinnati, has pinned former ICE agent Andrew Golobic's indictment to the top of its Facebook page, with hopes other alleged victims will come forward.
As WVXU reported in December, 51-year-old Golobic, who was assigned to the ICE office in Blue Ash, is accused of abusing his position to coerce sex from at least two immigrant female victims under his supervision. The U.S. Attorney's Office says he oversaw the Alternatives to Deportation program, which allows certain asylum seekers and other immigrants to remain in their communities while their immigration cases are pending. Golobic has been an ICE deportation officer for 16 years.
The Immigrant and Refugee Law Center thinks there are likely additional victims. It's working with the U.S. Attorney's Office to identify them. The center recently had a meeting at Roberts Academy for people who may have information.
"We had women that started to come forward because they might have information to share," says Founder and Executive Director Julie Leftwich. "We want to be a safe space for women to come forward, whether it's about this particular case or any other information they may have had with anybody else."
Leftwich says these victims and victims of other cases fled horrible conditions in their own countries and, "we're seeing a lot of exploitation here in our community."
She says the organization sees migrant women and children "often brought into houses full of strangers where they're staying and there can be adult males who are more than willing to prey upon girls who are left alone."
The Justice Department urges victims of Golobic to call 513-979-8353 or email ICEOfficerComplaints@fbi.gov.
If convicted, Golobic faces life in prison. His attorney does not have a comment about the case at this time.
