Four Previously Deported Aliens Charged With Illegal Re-Entry
In a shocking turn of events, four individuals who have been previously deported from the United States have been charged with illegal re-entry. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Perez-Verdugo, a 37-year-old citizen of Mexico, has been indicted for re-entering the country after being deported in August 2008, September 2013, and March 2014.
Perez-Verdugo is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after March 2014. He was found in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers. Under federal law, Perez-Verdugo faces a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
The indictment marks the second case of a previously deported alien being charged with illegal re-entry in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. In a separate case, Jose Arguelles-Varillas, a 53-year-old citizen of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States to Mexico in May 2012. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after May 2012, and was found in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Arguelles-Varillas was convicted in the Third District Court, Salt Lake County, State of Utah, for child abuse and attempted forcible sexual abuse in May 2012. Because of his previous conviction, under federal law, he faces a maximum penalty of ten years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
In another case, Maximino Mota-Ortiz, a 43-year-old citizen of the Dominican Republic, was previously deported from the United States to the Dominican Republic in May 1997. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States sometime after May 1997, and was found in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, after eluding examination or inspection by immigration officers.
Mota-Ortiz was convicted in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Middlesex Superior Court, for trafficking in a controlled substance in July 1995. Because of his previous conviction, under federal law, he faces a maximum penalty of ten years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
Francisco Michaca-Dominguez, a 41-year-old citizen of Mexico, was previously deported from the United States on three separate occasions in January 2006, August 2013, and December 2013. He is alleged to have illegally re-entered the United States in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, after he was arrested for a summary offense on April 30, 2017. Under federal law, Michaca-Dominguez faces a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.
The cases were investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). The indictment marks a significant development in the ongoing effort to combat illegal immigration in the United States.
As the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania continues to investigate and prosecute cases of illegal re-entry, it is essential to remember that indictments and criminal informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
Key Facts
- State: Pennsylvania
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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