Ukrainian Green Card Holder Detained by ICE After Facebook Marketplace Sting
Feb 15, 2025·Location: Spokane, WA
Country of origin: Ukraine
DetainmentLPR/Green CardFamilyRefugeeDeportationUnlawful Arrest/EntryDeceptive TacticsHabeas PetitionWorkplaceWashington

Sergey Kostenyuk, a longtime Spokane resident who came to the U.S. from Ukraine as a child refugee more than 30 years ago, was arrested by ICE agents who posed as customers on Facebook Marketplace seeking to buy a chicken coop from his shed-building business. He was detained for over two months based on two 2018 felony theft convictions before a judge ruled he did not meet federal criteria for deportation and ordered his release. Kostenyuk runs the business with his partner of more than 20 years, Mary Lesotti, with whom he has two sons.
Sources
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