Roman Sanchez Sentenced

Roman Sanchez, a 33-year-old man from Mission, Texas, has been sentenced to nine months in federal prison for harboring an illegal alien. Sanchez pleaded guilty to one count of harboring, encouraging, and inducing an alien to reside in the United States on September 18, 2014.

According to the plea agreement, Sanchez admitted to recruiting a Mexican citizen to work and reside in the United States in March and April 2014, despite knowing that the individual was not authorized to live or work in the country. Sanchez employed the Mexican citizen to build and tear down grain bins in Texas and Iowa.

The sentencing took place in Cedar Rapids, where United States District Court Chief Judge Linda R. Reade handed down the prison term. In addition to the nine months' imprisonment, Sanchez was fined $2,000 and ordered to pay $500 in restitution and $2,000 in legal fees. A special assessment of $100 was also imposed.

Sanchez will serve a three-year term of supervised release after completing his prison sentence. As there is no parole in the federal system, Sanchez will be required to serve the entirety of his sentence. He was released on the bond previously set and is scheduled to surrender to the United States Marshal on January 26, 2015.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt, with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, as well as the Fayette County Sheriff's Office, the Winneshiek County Sheriff's Office, the Bremer County Sheriff's Office, and the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Court file information for the case, which is numbered 14-CR-2038, is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The sentencing of Roman Sanchez serves as a reminder of the consequences of harboring illegal aliens and the importance of upholding immigration laws in the United States.

The investigation and prosecution of this case demonstrate the collaborative efforts of law enforcement agencies to combat illegal activities and ensure that those who break the law are held accountable. As the federal government continues to crack down on immigration-related crimes, individuals who engage in such activities can expect to face severe penalties, including imprisonment and fines.