Home Subscribe Las Vegas Review-Journal
  Jobs Cars Homes Shopping Travel Weddings Golf Best of Las Vegas Photo   Search:

RECENT EDITIONS
Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

News
Sep. 20, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Iran immigrant faces deportation

Legal resident has '95 sexual battery conviction

By LYNNETTE CURTIS
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Shahram "Shawn" Sheikhan reached the final table in the 2005 World Series of Poker main event.
Review-Journal file photo.

Professional poker player Shahram "Shawn" Sheikhan, an Iranian citizen who lives in Las Vegas and owns several businesses, is facing possible deportation over a 1995 conviction on charges of sexual battery and annoyance or molestation of a child.

Immigration officials arrested Sheikhan at his Las Vegas home on Aug. 30, according to documents filed with the U.S. District Court in Las Vegas.

He was held for more than a week at the North Las Vegas Detention Center before being released on a $10,000 bond.

Federal authorities said they're looking to deport Sheikhan because of the 1995 misdemeanor conviction in Contra Costa County, Calif.

Most Popular Stories
  • MOUNT CHARLESTON: Four die in plane crash
  • Two couples died in crash
  • NORM: Steve Wynn goes for mega-yacht
  • FAMILY SERVICES: Three visits preceded boy's death
  • NORM: Kirshner works on big Vegas project
  • NORM: Playboy models in state spotlight
  • Body of diver who jumped off 90-foot Lake Mead cliff found
  • NORM: Barkley is miffed by debt publicity
  • NORM: Playboy 'coed': Dad's OK with it
  • NORM: Elvis fan club will have star its way



    • "This individual was targeted for ICE arrest because of his criminal history," Virginia Kice, a spokeswoman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said in an e-mail message Wednesday. "ICE has an ongoing initiative called Operation Predator targeting individuals, including foreign nationals, who prey upon and sexually exploit children."

    Kice said immigration officials believe Sheikhan's conviction is "a deportable offense, but ultimately it will be up to an immigration judge to make that determination."

    "We want to see him removed from the United States," she said later Wednesday.

    Sheikhan, a 38-year-old legal permanent U.S. resident, declined to comment through his lawyer, David Chesnoff, on Tuesday. But Chesnoff said Sheikhan is fighting deportation.

    "We're going to do everything in our power to prevent this," he said.

    Chesnoff said he also is considering "revisiting the California case based on constitutional issues, including ineffective counsel."

    He wouldn't comment on the specifics of that case and did not return a call seeking further comment on Wednesday.

    Sheikhan served nine months in jail and five years of probation for the 1995 conviction, immigration officials said.

    Sheikhan is known for his sometimes confrontational attitude at the poker table. He reached the final table at the 2005 World Series of Poker main event, where he verbally sparred with another player, Mike Matusow.

    Sheikhan owns six local Diversity shops that sell tattoos, piercings, clothing and other items.

    He was born in Iran but came to the United States when he was 9, according to court documents.

    He has been a legal permanent U.S. resident since 1983, is married to a U.S. citizen and has a 9-year-old daughter.

    Sheikhan and his wife own a home in the Canyon Gate Country Club, near Sahara Avenue and Durango Drive, according to Clark County Assessor's records.

    Court documents indicate that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security believes Sheikhan is "subject to removal from the United States" in part based on a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows deportation for conviction "of two crimes involving moral turpitude not arising out of a single scheme of criminal misconduct."



    Leave Your Comment 20 Reader Comments
    Terms & Conditions
    The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The reviewjournal.com does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please notify the web editor.

    Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 48 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
    Current Word Count:

    Steve wrote on March 16, 2008 08:01 AM:
    While I deplore sexual predators as much as anyone, if it was a misdemeanour charge what does that lead one to believe. Not child rape.

    If he did a nine months for having consensual sex with a 17 year old girl while in his 20s, he is likely not a danger to anyone.

    None of the "journalists" have looked into the case, at the court records, or interviewed the guy in question. Likely because the guy is a jerk, but that is not against the law.


    N/A wrote on December 07, 2007 04:16 PM: Let me quess, "child" was 17 yo and Sheikhan 26? And over decade later someone just suddenly wants to deport him...

    This is the reason Im probably never gonna even visit america, such an twisted place and twisted people.


    Greg wrote on November 20, 2007 08:28 PM: uh, "Abused", its actually arguable that he even did that, not all people who get convicted are guilty, its that the jury hates that kind of crime so much, their judgment is blinded and they refuse to look at the evidence of his innocence, in such a sense that all rationality is abandoned. Im a fan of this poker player(not so that my opinion is biased) and I have researched the 1995 case. Im only 19, but I have enough commen sense after reviewing it to conclude that the evidence was stacked on his side to such a degree that you would believe a conviction would be nonsense. But, that is our lovely, perfect system: 12 people decide by vote that something is true, by God it is true. Stop posting comments on issues that you know nothing about, moron.


    Abused wrote on October 10, 2007 03:55 AM: Until he sexualy molest one of YOUR childeren!!!

    Lets see if you all go easy on him then!!!

    guess its all "normal" in the land of the "free" ^^


    jasmine wrote on October 02, 2007 01:22 AM: I don't think its fair that sheikan its facing deportation for something that he already paid for sience 1995. he was in jail for nine months and five years of aprovation. They should leave him alone. this people just want to gived him a bad reputation. hes a good man,has his parents here. got married with a us-citizen and has a beautifull daughter. all his life is in the US. I'M with you and your family shawn;you'll see that soon you'll be laughing of all this B.S. by the way I am an employee for one of your diversity locations. have been with you and your family for five years. I respect you and your family. you guys are cool. LEAVE HIM ALONE.


    N/A wrote on September 27, 2007 12:22 PM: Dano Dont be mad that Diversity wouldnt hire you back. It was the Sheikhan's that gave you a place to work when you needed a job. Its you who chose to go to Vince Neils shop.


    A WORKER wrote on September 24, 2007 04:47 PM: I HAVE WORKED FOR HIM FOR YEARS. THIS IS B.S. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE IS THIS REPORTER WOULD HAVE GOT ALL HER FACTS RIGHT BEFORE PRINTING THIS PUBLICATION. SHAWN IS A GOOD MAN. HE WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING TO HURT HIS FAMILY OR HIS BUSSINESS OR ANY OF US. ALL US WILL STAND RIGHT BEHIND HIM AND HIS FAMILY UNTIL THE TRUTH IS RELEASE AND THIS REPORTER IS PUT INTO HER PLACE. WE LOVE YOU SHAWN WE BELIEVE IN YOU. ANYTHING YOU NEED WE ALL WILL BE RIGHT THERE FOR YOU.


    Tami wrote on September 22, 2007 11:46 AM: So, get convicted, do your time, serve out your probation, and the government can STILL come after you, MANY years after the fact, on the same offense? This is completely wrong in so many ways.

    Y'all are awfully fast to say "Get him! Get Him! He's a jerk!" but think of the ramifications of this action, for ALL citizens that come here from other countries, which is, MOST of the US inhabitants?


    dano wrote on September 21, 2007 04:22 PM: and yes I can prove the tax evasion


    dano wrote on September 21, 2007 04:19 PM: i know this guy and his family... Trust me, this is a good a thing to get him out of the country.. It doesnt matter how long he has been here in the U.S he is someone that should not be in america. Aside from tax evasion and taking the side of iran in such that he would fight for iran and not america. Good ridance to bad rubish.


    Read All Comments