Mexican National Sentenced on Federal Immigration and Drug Charges
Davenport, IA- On August 9, 2009, Margarita Mejia-Alvarado, a.k.a., Bertha Martinez, a.k.a., Maria Lopez, 48, of Mexico, was sentenced to 85 months imprisonment for each of the following: two counts of distribution of cocaine; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and, one count of unlawful entry after deportation, with those sentences to run concurrently, announced United States Attorney Matthew G. Whitaker. United States District Judge John A. Jarvey ordered that Mejia- Alvarado will serve a term of 6 years supervised release following her incarceration and pay an assessment of $400 to Crime Victims Fund. Mejia-Alvarado will be turned over to the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for removal proceedings following her incarceration.
On October 20, 2008, Immigration and Customs Enforcement was notified by the Henry County, Iowa Sheriff’s Office that they had an individual in custody under the name Bertha Martinez who was believed to be an illegal alien. This individual had been arrested in Henry County on a traffic stop. Subsequent inquiry showed that Martinez, who was also the subject of an ongoing drug investigation in Muscatine County, was actually Margarita Mejia-Alvarado, who had been previously deported on several occasions, including following a prior federal drug conviction. At the time of her arrest in Henry County, Mejia-Alvarado was found in possession of 23.77 grams of cocaine.
This investigation was conducted by the Muscatine County Drug Task Force, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Winfield, IA, Police Department and the Henry County Sheriff’s Office.