Kings' Voynov goes from prison to immigration custody
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Slava Voynov was released from Seal Beach Police Detention Center in California on Wednesday and placed in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, writes the Los Angeles Times' Nathan Fenno.
After Voynov's release in Seal Beach, ICE took him into custody and is holding the Russian citizen at an unspecified detention facility pending a hearing by an immigration judge, an agency spokeswoman said Thursday.
Voynov was in jail after pleading no contest to a misdemeanor domestic violence charge in July.
No bond was set by ICE, and neither the Kings or Voynov's agent have made comments.
A veteran immigration lawyer on Voynov: "An individual with crimes like domestic violence is not in great shape in immigration court."
— Nathan Fenno (@nathanfenno) September 3, 2015
ESPN's Scott Burnside has more:
A source familiar with the case told ESPN.com on Thursday night the move by immigration officials to detain Voynov was not unexpected and that it is expected Voynov will post bond and be released in the coming week. It's believed the immigration process that will ultimately determine whether Voynov, 25, a native of Chelyabinsk, Russia, can remain in the United States will be a lengthy one.
Voynov was suspended by the league with pay after his arrest last October. He accepted a plea bargain that reduced his charge from a felony. He was suspended by the Kings without pay in June after suffering an Achilles injury during non-hockey activities.
Voynov's wife told police that he choked, kicked, and pushed her on the night of the incident. She added that it wasn't the first time Voynov had been physically abusive towards her, and that "he is very aggressive when he drinks."