Francisco Araujo Lara, Unlawful Reentry, Massachusetts 2024

Lawrence Man Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Unlawful Reentry

A 33-year-old Lawrence man, Francisco Araujo Lara, was sentenced in federal court in Boston to 51 months in prison and three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.

Araujo Lara, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was deported from the United States in September 2019, after serving an 18-to-30-month state sentence for a fentanyl distribution conviction in 2019.

He unlawfully reentered the United States and in 2021, was arrested in Lawrence for distributing fentanyl and possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute it. Araujo Lara pleaded guilty to the state charges and was sentenced to 30 months in state prison.

Araujo Lara pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien in October 2023.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, made the announcement today.

Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.

Key Facts:

- Defendant: Francisco Araujo Lara

- Crime: Unlawful reentry of a deported alien

- City and State: Lawrence, Massachusetts

- Date: October 2023 (plea), September 2019 (deportation), 2021 (state arrest)

- Sentence: 51 months in prison, three years of supervised release

- Defendant's Background: Araujo Lara is a citizen of the Dominican Republic.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/pr/lawrence-man-sentenced-51-months-prison-illegal-reentry