BOSTON – A Dominican national, Melvin Villar, 60, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to a stunning act of illegal reentry after his deportation. The seasoned criminal, with a history of immigration and drug offenses, now faces up to two decades behind bars for the transgression.
Villar’s guilty plea came on the heels of his arrest on February 2, 2025, at the Essex County House of Correction in Middleton. His latest detention followed a state custody release due to charges related to narcotics trafficking. The defendant has been deported no fewer than four times before – in 2004, 2009, 2019, and 2021 – each time following convictions for immigration, drug, and firearm-related crimes, including two prior unlawful reentry convictions.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine reaching $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for September 16, 2025, with the final determination resting on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and governing statutes.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston, jointly announced the charges against Villar. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady of the Major Crimes Unit is overseeing the prosecution.
This case serves as a stark reminder of the consequences faced by those who flout immigration laws and reenter the United States after being deported. The justice system will not tolerate repeated violations, and sentences are meant to serve as a deterrent for potential repeat offenders.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Fraud & Financial Crimes|Violent Crime|Sex Crimes|Cybercrime|Public Corruption|Weapons|Human Trafficking|White Collar Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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