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ODESSA, TEXAS — Jerry Joseph is either a promising16-year-old sophomore basketball player at Permian High School inOdessa, Texas or he's Guerdwich Montimere, a 22-year-old who threeyears ago as a senior helped lead Dillard of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., tothe Florida 5A state semifinals and was a McDonald's All Americannominee.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcementspokeswoman Leticia Zamarripa said Wednesday that officials from heragency have proof that, while Joseph is a Haitian who is in the countryillegally, he isn't Montimere.
Joseph is facing an immigration hearing, Zamarripa said.
Officialsat Permian are looking into the matter, but Montimere's former AAUcoach, Louis Vives, doesn't need an investigation to know that Josephis not just a Montimere look-alike. "The moment I saw him, I knew itwas Montimere," he said.
Vives, a coach with the SouthFlorida Elite, was in Little Rock last month for a tournament. He saidtwo of his players from Dillard first spotted the 6-5 guard they knewas Montimere playing for the New Mexico Force. Vives said the playerdenied he was Montimere when Vives spoke with him.
"It wasshocking, and the question at hand was just why," Vives said Wednesday."When I approached him, I just wanted to know what was going on. Thesurprised look on his face gave it away that it was him. ... Once hesaw a Florida team and players and coaches who knew him, the look onhis face was like, 'Wow, what am I into now?' "
DarrylBeasley, assistant athletics director of the University InterscholasticLeague in Texas, said he is waiting for the Ector County IndependentSchool District to finish its probe before deciding whether the UILwill act. Permian principal Roy Garcia and basketball coach DannyWright did not return calls.
Zamarripa, who's with the ICEoffice in El Paso, said investigators had checked an FBI database anddetermined through fingerprints that Joseph was not Montimere.
According to The Odessa American, Joseph was enrolled atPermian by Jabari Caldwell, who played with Montimere at Dillard. TheAmerican reported that, at that time, Caldwell was playing for theUniversity of Texas-Permian Basin and signed an affidavit saying Josephwas his half-brother. A message left Wednesday evening for Caldwell byUSA TODAY was not immediately returned.
However, Wright'swife, Jimmie, said Joseph called her last week and said he wasn'trelated to Caldwell, according to the American. Joseph is staying withthe Wrights.
Calls Wednesday to the home of Montimere's family in Fort Lauderdale were not answered.
PeteNorman, then coach of Highland Community College in Freeport, Ill.,said Montimere contacted him in 2007 after the player graduated fromDillard. "Montimere and a high school teammate, Edward Lonon, actuallyenrolled here in the fall of 2007 but did not stay long," Norman said."Neither participated in any games. If I remember correctly, both werevery weak academically, and I wanted to redshirt them. They did notlike that idea and left."
Looking at pictures of Joseph and Montimere, Norman said the two were the same.
http://www.clarionledger....PORTS/100506044/1263/RSS
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcementspokeswoman Leticia Zamarripa said Wednesday that officials from heragency have proof that, while Joseph is a Haitian who is in the countryillegally, he isn't Montimere.
Joseph is facing an immigration hearing, Zamarripa said.
Officialsat Permian are looking into the matter, but Montimere's former AAUcoach, Louis Vives, doesn't need an investigation to know that Josephis not just a Montimere look-alike. "The moment I saw him, I knew itwas Montimere," he said.
Vives, a coach with the SouthFlorida Elite, was in Little Rock last month for a tournament. He saidtwo of his players from Dillard first spotted the 6-5 guard they knewas Montimere playing for the New Mexico Force. Vives said the playerdenied he was Montimere when Vives spoke with him.
"It wasshocking, and the question at hand was just why," Vives said Wednesday."When I approached him, I just wanted to know what was going on. Thesurprised look on his face gave it away that it was him. ... Once hesaw a Florida team and players and coaches who knew him, the look onhis face was like, 'Wow, what am I into now?' "
DarrylBeasley, assistant athletics director of the University InterscholasticLeague in Texas, said he is waiting for the Ector County IndependentSchool District to finish its probe before deciding whether the UILwill act. Permian principal Roy Garcia and basketball coach DannyWright did not return calls.
Zamarripa, who's with the ICEoffice in El Paso, said investigators had checked an FBI database anddetermined through fingerprints that Joseph was not Montimere.
According to The Odessa American, Joseph was enrolled atPermian by Jabari Caldwell, who played with Montimere at Dillard. TheAmerican reported that, at that time, Caldwell was playing for theUniversity of Texas-Permian Basin and signed an affidavit saying Josephwas his half-brother. A message left Wednesday evening for Caldwell byUSA TODAY was not immediately returned.
However, Wright'swife, Jimmie, said Joseph called her last week and said he wasn'trelated to Caldwell, according to the American. Joseph is staying withthe Wrights.
Calls Wednesday to the home of Montimere's family in Fort Lauderdale were not answered.
PeteNorman, then coach of Highland Community College in Freeport, Ill.,said Montimere contacted him in 2007 after the player graduated fromDillard. "Montimere and a high school teammate, Edward Lonon, actuallyenrolled here in the fall of 2007 but did not stay long," Norman said."Neither participated in any games. If I remember correctly, both werevery weak academically, and I wanted to redshirt them. They did notlike that idea and left."
Looking at pictures of Joseph and Montimere, Norman said the two were the same.
http://www.clarionledger....PORTS/100506044/1263/RSS
