A 21-year-old British citizen was sentenced on Friday in federal court in Bangor to time served for entering the U.S. illegally and lying to investigators about it, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Hameed Mohammed Nagi and three other men were walking through a heavily wooded area near the Quebec-Somerset County border in the pre-dawn hours of April 3 when they entered the U.S. within a few hundred yards of the Saint Zacharie port of entry, according to a press release.

After emerging from the woods, the group was spotted walking east on the Golden Road by passersby who alerted a federal agent. Border Patrol and customs officers responded and took all four into custody without incident.

When questioned, Nagi claimed he and his companions had been hiking in Canada and accidentally crossed the border.

Nagi pleaded guilty on June 8.

Ethan Andrews is the night editor. He was formerly the managing editor at The Free Press and worked as a reporter for The Republican Journal and Pen Bay Pilot.