St. John River swimmer admits to illegal entry

BANGOR – An Englishwoman who entered the United States by swimming across the St. John River at Fort Kent earlier this month pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court to re-entering the country after she was refused entry earlier this year in Atlanta because of visa problems.

Katharine Mary Hiscox, also known as Kate Pagram, wept as she waived indictment and entered her guilty plea before U.S. District Judge John Woodcock. The shorthaired blonde, dressed in blue jeans and a pale blue fleece jacket, dabbed at her eyes with a tissue and answered Woodcock’s questions in an English accent.

Hiscox, 33, formerly of Surry, England, faces up to two years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. She could be barred from re-entering the U.S.

Woodcock ordered that she remain in jail while the Probation Office prepares a pre-sentence report. Hiscox is being held at the Penobscot County Jail. Her court-appointed attorney, Charles Hodsdon II of Bangor, asked that she be sentenced to time served or 16 days.

Two women, who in July entered Maine illegally in unrelated incidents, were sentenced earlier this month to time served, or about two weeks each.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Casey on Tuesday asked Woodcock to order the pre-sentence report, which could take up to three months, to explore Hiscox’s financial situation to determine if she misrepresented it and did not qualify for a court-appointed attorney.

If it’s determined Hiscox could have paid an attorney, she could be ordered to repay the government for legal fees.

In pleading guilty, Hiscox admitted she swam across the St. John River late on Aug. 6. Soaking wet, she knocked on the door of a Fort Kent residence sometime between 11 and 11:25 p.m., according to court documents.

The homeowner called the Fort Kent police the next morning and told them he had driven the woman to the Blue Sky Hotel in Madawaska. When U.S. Border Patrol agents arrived at the hotel, they learned the woman had checked out 30 to 45 minutes earlier. Agents alerted the Houlton and Fort Fairfield stations that they were looking for the woman.

Agent Dennis Harmon was traveling north on U.S. Route 1 in Littleton about noon Sunday when he saw a Madawaska-based taxi with a woman passenger heading south. He followed the cab until it pulled into a Houlton gas station and convenience store, according to court documents.

Hiscox had been traveling with an American woman friend, according to court documents. The week before Hiscox swam the river, the two stayed together at a hotel in Edmundston, New Brunswick. Hiscox claimed her friend was unaware of her plans to enter the U.S. illegally, but allegedly told agents the two had planned to meet on Aug. 6 in Fort Kent.

Apparently, the two missed each other.

No charges have been filed against Hiscox’s friend.