RALEIGH, N.C. – In a shocking turn of events, 49-year-old Mario Sotelo, a naturalized US citizen born in Mexico, has been sentenced to four months in prison for passport fraud. This conviction marks the latest chapter in a long and disturbing history of crimes committed by Sotelo.
According to court records, on September 5, 2008, Sotelo fraudulently obtained US citizenship by making a false statement under oath regarding his naturalization application. In response to the question ‘Have you ever committed a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?’ he answered ‘No’.
However, Sotelo’s troubles began long before his naturalization. In 2003, he committed a series of heinous crimes against multiple victims, including incest, first-degree sex offense with a child, indecent liberties with a child, and statutory rape. On August 23, 2018, he was convicted of these felonies in the Superior Court of North Carolina in Chatham County, receiving a 23-year prison sentence.
‘Ultimately, Sotelo was unable to escape the consequences of his criminal past, and he will now answer for his disturbing predatory behavior,’ said ERO’s Atlanta Interim Field Office Director Francisco Madrigal. ‘Removing violent, criminal non-citizens is a vital part of our mission to make our communities safer.’
‘The granting of United States citizenship is one of the most prized and ultimate benefits that the government can grant. The defendant exploited our immigration system and unlawfully secured his naturalization, which undermines both the nation’s security and our lawful immigration system,’ said G. Norman Acker, III, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement.
Sotelo was investigated by Agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, assigned to the Document Benefit Fraud Task Force, as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing initiative executed in conjunction with the Office of Immigration Litigation to aggressively identify and prosecute child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.
The case is a stark reminder that those who commit heinous crimes will be brought to justice, no matter how long it takes. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:20-cr-00173-M(1).
Mandatory Facts:
Defendant: Mario Sotelo
Criminal Charges: Passport Fraud
City and State: Raleigh, North Carolina
Date: 2022
Sentence: 4 months in prison
Related Federal Cases
- Clarence Brown Jr., Child Porn Relapse, North Carolina, 2023 · Connecticut
- Jordan Lee Adams, Child Pornography Production, North Carolina · Virginia
- John Roberson, Predatory Sexual Assault, North Carolina · Michigan
- Harell Jamison, Sexual Contact Without Consent, North Carolina 2024 · Michigan
- Anthony Dale Helton, Child Sex Abuse, North Carolina 2023 · South Carolina
Key Facts
- State: North Carolina
- Category: Sex Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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