Honduran Man Charged with Illegal Reentry

A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Selvis Velazquez-Villanueva, a 28 year-old Honduran citizen, for entering the United States illegally after previously being deported. 

Velazquez-Villanueva, who entered the United States through Mexico after being deported in 2007, was found in Lorain, Ohio, during a traffic stop, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.

The indictment alleges that Velazquez-Villanueva had unlawfully reentered the United States after being previously deported on May 16, 2007.

Assistant United States Attorney Karrie D. Howard is prosecuting the case, following an investigation by the United States Border Patrol, Department of Homeland Security.

If convicted, the Court will determine the defendant’s sentence after a review of factors unique to this case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.  In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum.  In most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.  A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government's burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.