Nov. 2 , 2006

INDICTMENT ADDS CHARGES DEFENDANT
TRIED TO HIDE THE FACT HE HAD BEEN DEPORTED

TOPEKA, KAN. – New charges filed Wednesday accuse a Guatemalan man of using a false identity and lying to federal agents to hide the fact he had unlawfully re-entered the United States after being deported.

Marcos Ramires-Ramires, 19, is charged in a superceding indictment returned Wednesday by a grand jury meeting in Topeka.

In July, Ramires-Ramires was arrested in Wichita and charged with one count of illegal re-entry after deportation. The superceding indictment adds one count of aggravated identity theft and two counts of making false statements when Ramires-Ramires was questioned by agents of the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. The government alleges he identified himself with another person’s name and date of birth and presented a Mexican birth certificate to support the false statements. Ramires-Ramires was the subject of an article Oct. 29, 2006, in the Wichita Eagle headlined, “Border a revolving doorway for authorities, illegal immigrants.”

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000 on the charge of making a false statement, a 2-year mandatory sentence to run consecutively to other sentences and a fine up to $250,000 on the identity theft charge, and a maximum penalty of 2 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the re-entry charge. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

 

UNLAWFUL TRANSPORTATION CHARGES

Other immigration cases among Wednesday’s grand jury indictments included three unrelated cases in which defendants were charged with knowingly and unlawfully transporting illegal aliens within the United States.

Miguel Angel Pereo-Salcedo, 42, is charged with 20 counts of unlawfully transporting illegal aliens and one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Oct. 22, 2006, in Douglas County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count of unlawful transportation and a maximum penalty of 2 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the re-entry charge. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Randy Hendershot is prosecuting.

Eleodoro Garcia-Sanchez, 34, is charged with knowingly and unlawfully transporting seven illegal aliens in the United States by means of a 1991 Dodge Caravan minivan. The crime is alleged to have occurred Oct. 25, 2006, in Sherman County, Kan. He also is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United states after being deported.

If convicted he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000 on the unlawful transportation charge and a maximum penalty of 2 years in federal prison without parole and fine up to $250,000 on the re-entry charge. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Alermo Lopez-Lopez, is charged with knowingly and unlawfully transporting illegal aliens within the United States by means of a Ford Windstar minivan. The crime is alleged to have occurred Oct. 20, 2006, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison without parole, and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

OTHER CASES

Other grand jury indictments returned Wednesday include the following:

Genaro Espinoza, 47, Phoenix, Ariz., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute approximately 5.9 kilograms (13 pounds) of methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute approximately 10.9 kilograms (24 pounds) of crack cocaine. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Oct. 21, 2006, in Shawnee County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and not more than life, and a fine up to $4 million, on each count. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Randy Hendershot is prosecuting.

Derek Williams, 27, who is in custody in the Geary County Jail, and Lavencia Gavin Harris, 29, who is in custody in the Sedgwick County Jail, are charged with conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of crack cocaine. The crime is alleged to have occurred from April 30, 2004, to Oct. 30, 2006, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, they face a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $8 million. The Junction City/Geary County Drug Operations Group, which is headed by the Junction City Police Department and the Geary County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Coody is prosecuting.

Jesus Rene Villa-Vazquez, 27, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being convicted of an aggravated felony and deported. He was found Aug. 8, 2006, in Topeka, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Luis Lopez-Garcia, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Oct. 11, 2006, in Chase County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 2 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Celina Pineda-Chavarria, 50, a citizen of Honduras, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported and one count of making a false statement to an agent of the Department of Homeland Security. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Oct. 20, 2006, in Ellsworth County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 2 years in federal prison without parole and fine up to $250,000 on the unlawful re-entry charge, a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison without parole and fine up to $250,000 on the charge of making a false statement, and a 2-year mandatory sentence to run consecutively with other sentences and a fine up to $250,000 on the identity theft charge. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Rene Lerma-Quezada, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Oct. 20, 2006, in Chase County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 2 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

Alfonso Lopez-Jimenez, 34, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of using false documents to be employed in the United States, three counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of making a false statement on an I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification form to be employed at Heartstone, Inc., in Wichita, Kan., and one count misusing a Social Security number. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 16, 2006, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison without parole and a fine up to $250,000 on the document charge; a mandatory 2 years in prison to run consecutively to other sentences and a fine up to $250,000 on each count of identity theft; and a maximum penalty of 5 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the counts of making a false statement on an I-9 and misusing a Social Security number. The Social Security Administration’s Office of Inspector General investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.

JonEarl B. Smith, 28, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 5 grams of crack cocaine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Oct. 19, 2006, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 5 years and not more than 40 years in federal prison and a fine up to $2 million. The Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting.

Jason L. Tisdale, 27, is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 5 grams of crack cocaine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Oct. 19, 2006, in Sedgwick County, Kan.

If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 5 years and not more than 40 years in federal prison and a fine up to $2 million. The Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting.

As in any criminal case, a person is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments filed merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.

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