A brazen attempt to subvert the law has landed a Mexican national in hot water. Jesus Miranda-Alcantar, 34, a man with a history of being in the country illegally, thought he could bribe his way to freedom.
On September 17, 2020, Miranda-Alcantar was being transported by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officer from the HSI/ICE office in Pearl, Mississippi to the Madison County Detention Center. But during the drive, the officer reported that Miranda-Alcantar repeatedly offered to pay him thousands of dollars to stop the van and let him out by the side of the road.
The officer, true to his oath, ignored the offers and delivered Miranda-Alcantar to the Madison County jail. He soon reported the incident to his supervisor and executed a sworn affidavit detailing the events of that day.
Further investigation led to a recorded interview with Miranda-Alcantar on November 4, 2020, after he had been advised of his rights. In this interview, he confirmed the details of the attempted bribe and even admitted to increasing the offer from $5,000 to $8,000.
“Attempts to corrupt our law enforcement remain a major threat,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca. “These arrests affirm the Department of Justice’s commitment to prosecuting those who seek to corruptly influence and to exacerbate violations of our immigration laws.”
Miranda-Alcantar has been charged with offering a bribe to a federal official. A federal grand jury indicted him on November 17, 2020, and he has since pled guilty. He is set to be sentenced on September 23, 2021, at 9:00 a.m. and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigation’s (HSI) Office of Professional Responsibility and the HSI Jackson Office, with Assistant United States Attorneys Theodore Cooperstein and Kevin Payne handling the prosecution.
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Key Facts
- State: Mississippi
- Category: Public Corruption|Immigration Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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