Federal prosecutors in the District of Maryland charged defendant Berry with alien smuggling in August 1981, filing case number 81-cr-00400 as United States v. Berry. The prosecution targeted the smuggling of undocumented individuals into or through Maryland, resulting in a five-year probationary sentence.
The alien smuggling charges involved violations of federal immigration statutes that criminalized the transportation, harboring, or facilitation of entry of undocumented individuals. Alien smuggling was prosecuted as a serious federal offense targeting those who profited from facilitating illegal immigration.
Federal investigators documented Berry’s alleged smuggling activities within the District of Maryland, establishing the evidentiary basis for prosecution under federal immigration smuggling statutes.
Berry was sentenced to 60 months — five years — of federal probation. The extended probationary term imposed substantial supervision while avoiding imprisonment, suggesting circumstances that mitigated against incarceration while still warranting extended federal oversight.
Alien smuggling prosecutions in Maryland during 1981 addressed criminal networks that facilitated illegal immigration along the East Coast. The five-year probationary sentence maintained federal oversight of Berry’s conduct for an extended period.
The Berry case reflected the federal approach to alien smuggling prosecution in non-border districts, where the offense was taken seriously but sentencing outcomes sometimes reflected the absence of the aggravating factors present in border-region cases.
Key Facts
- Case: United States v. Berry
- Court: U.S. District Court, District of Maryland
- Docket: 81-cr-00400
- Sentence: 60 months probation
- Source: Federal Court Records
Related Federal Cases
- Blevins, Alien Smuggling, Maryland 1979 · Maryland
- Smith, Illegal Entry, Maryland 2004 · Maryland
- Ambush, Harboring Illegal Aliens, Maryland 1998 · Maryland
- Bey, Illegal Entry, Maryland 1998 · Maryland
- Blevins, Immigration Fraud, Maryland 1998 · Maryland
