MEXICAN NATIONAL INDICTED

A. Courtney Cox, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, announced today that JUAN EDUARDO GARCIA-QUINTERO, age 24, of Sonora, Mexico was indicted on June 17, 2009, by a federal grand jury for Improper Entry into the United States by an Alien and Making a False Statement to a Federal Officer.

The crime of Improper Entry by an Alien carries a maximum possible penalty of 6 months’ imprisonment or a $5,000 fine, or both. The crime of Making a False Statement to a Federal Officer carries a maximum possible penalty of 5 years' imprisonment or a $250,000 fine, or both, and not more than 3 years' supervised release. The United States Sentencing Guidelines must be applied to the case and considered by the Court during sentencing.

An indictment is a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The investigation was conducted by the Effingham County Sheriff’s Department and agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The case has been assigned to Assistant United States Attorney Steve Weinhoeft for prosecution.