By Sara Israelsen-Hartley, Deseret News

PROVO, UTAH — An Ethiopian native who seemed destined for deportation after a felony conviction will now be allowed to stay in the country.

Immigration officials in Arizona have decided not to deport Kiddus Chane Yohannes, 21, whom a jury found guilty in February of possessing his roommate’s ATM card, said prosecutor Chad Grunander.

“(It) is a surprise,” Grunander said. “We thought that with a felony conviction he’d be deported. I don’t know if the factor that he was here on political asylum (made a difference). I suppose it certainly could have.”

Yohannes came to the United States in 1997 on political asylum after his father — an Ethiopian equivalent to a U.S. appellate court justice — angered the government by writing about human rights violations in their country.

Yohannes was granted the status of lawful permanent resident in 2003 and had been attending Utah Valley State College, now Utah Valley University, when he was arrested in June 2007.

Yohannes’ roommate — the same one whose card was missing — called Orem police, concerned that Yohannes was watching violent Internet videos, buying guns and making threatening comments against police officers and military officials.