Officials revoking US visa of former Strip illusionist charged in child porn case
U.S. immigration officials are revoking the work visa of former Strip illusionist Jan Rouven while he fights felony child pornography charges, his lawyer said Thursday.
Attorney Jess Marchese said the revocation takes effect Friday.
Rouven and his manager-husband, Frank Alfter, both German citizens, have been selling their assets in Las Vegas, and Alfter planned to return to Germany, Marchese said.
Immigration officials cited the criminal case against the jailed Rouven and the fact he no longer has a job as an entertainer as the reasons for taking away the visa, Marchese said.
Rouven, 38, former star of the “The New Illusions” show at the Tropicana, is to stand trial June 20 before Chief U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro. He has been in federal custody since March 16 when he was arrested by FBI agents.
“This doesn’t really change our game plan.” Marchese said. “Our ultimate goal is to acquit Jan of the charges, and his immigration status will fall into place after that.”
Whatever the outcome of his trial, Rouven is likely headed back to Germany, Marchese said.
If Rouven is convicted, the defense lawyer explained, he would have to serve his sentence before being deported.
Rouven was indicted by a federal grand jury in March under his full name, Jan Rouven Fuechtener, on charges of possession, receipt, distribution and advertising of child pornography.
The Tropicana canceled Rouven’s show and severed ties with him a day after the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported his arrest.
His case has attracted international media attention, primarily in Germany.
According to the criminal complaint, the investigation of Rouven began in August when an undercover FBI agent from Buffalo, New York, infiltrated a computer file-sharing network dealing in child pornography.
Some of the files linked to Rouven had videos of young boys engaging in sex with men, the complaint alleges.
FBI agents seized two computers and an external hard drive at Rouven’s home Jan. 21. An analysis of the hard drive found 3,235 videos and 105 images depicting child pornography, the complaint alleges.
Contact Jeff German at jgerman@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-8135. Find @JGermanRJ on Twitter.