AKRON, Ohio – A federal grand jury has slapped indictments on eight individuals caught in a sting operation at a Canton manufacturing facility on August 6th, revealing a brazen scheme involving illegal immigration and widespread identity theft. The feds are alleging a calculated effort to bypass U.S. law, with some defendants already deported previously.
The most serious charge leveled against four of the defendants – Marcial Ajanel-Alvarez, 46, of Guatemala; Emilio Alvarez-Perez, 31, of Guatemala; Justo-Amaya Calles, 55, of El Salvador; and Diego Perez-Ajanez, 37, of Guatemala – is Illegal Reentry of Removed Alien, violating 8 U.S.C. § 1326. Court documents show Ajanel-Alvarez was previously booted from the U.S. on December 27, 2011. Alvarez-Perez followed on September 4, 2013, and Perez-Ajanez on May 19, 2013. These weren’t simple slip-ups; they were deliberate returns without authorization from the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security.
But the scheme didn’t stop at simply re-entering the country. Emilio Alvarez-Perez, Justo-Amaya Calles, Domingo Calel-Herrera, 34, of Guatemala; Juan De Leon Hernandez, 33, of Guatemala; Pedro De Leon Hernandez, 21, of Guatemala; and Victor Ramos-Santis, 44, of Guatemala are all accused of False Claim to U.S. Citizenship to Engage Unlawfully in Employment (Title 18 U.S.C. 1015(e)), coupled with Misuse of Social Security number (Title 42 U.S.C. 408(a)(7)(B)), and the heavy hitter – Aggravated Identity Theft (Title 18 U.S.C. 1028A(a)(1)). These aren’t victimless crimes; they’re a direct assault on the integrity of the system, and likely involved stolen identities used to secure employment.
Domingo Calel-Herrera and Pedro De Leon Hernandez also face an additional charge of Unlawful Use of Identification Documents (18 U.S.C. § 1546(a)), suggesting a wider network of forged or altered paperwork supporting their illegal employment. The scope of the operation is clearly significant, impacting not only federal resources but potentially legitimate workers and the integrity of the manufacturing facility itself.
The investigation was spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Rolph of the Northern District of Ohio is leading the prosecution. This bust is part of “Operation Take Back America,” a national initiative promising a full-throttle response to illegal immigration and transnational criminal organizations. The DOJ claims it’s about protecting communities, but the scale of this operation suggests a larger crackdown is underway.
It’s crucial to remember that an indictment is *not* a conviction. All eight defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. But the evidence presented to the grand jury clearly suggests a pattern of deliberate lawbreaking, and the feds are determined to see this case through. Grimy Times will continue to follow this story as it unfolds.
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Key Facts
- State: Ohio
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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