Guillermo Pineda Suarez, 57, a Colombian national, is headed to federal prison for illegally sneaking back into the United States after being deported nearly two decades ago. Pineda Suarez was sentenced in Boston to 21 months behind bars, with 14 months credited as time already served, and slapped with three years of supervised release. The hardline sentence underscores the federal crackdown on repeat immigration offenders caught using fake documents to live and work in the country under false pretenses.
Pineda Suarez pleaded guilty on March 1, 2019, to three federal charges: illegal reentry of a deported alien, possession and use of a false immigration document, and making false statements on an immigration form. U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV handed down the sentence, sending a clear message that forged papers and perjury won’t be tolerated in the immigration system. Upon release, Pineda Suarez will face immediate deportation proceedings.
The fraud traces back to May 22, 2014, when Pineda Suarez signed a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Form I-9 — the Employment Eligibility Verification — swearing under oath that he was legally authorized to work. He backed that lie with a counterfeit Permanent Resident Card, a bold move that allowed him to remain under the radar for years. The document was entirely fake, a forgery meant to deceive employers and federal authorities alike.
His run ended on March 15, 2018, when law enforcement officers in Boston flagged him during a routine encounter and quickly determined he was unlawfully present. Records showed Pineda Suarez had already been deported once — on November 9, 2001 — following earlier immigration violations. His return to U.S. soil without permission made him a target for federal prosecution under strict immigration laws.
The case was brought by United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling’s office, with support from Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum, part of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit, led the prosecution, building a solid case from paper trail to perjury.
Now, Pineda Suarez faces not only prison time but the certainty of removal from the country once again. His case highlights the federal machinery that tracks deported individuals who reenter illegally — and the steep consequences for those who try to game the system with counterfeit documents and sworn lies.
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Key Facts
- State: Massachusetts
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: Official Source ↗
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