NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

JOHN F. WOOD

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html

NOVEMBER 19, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

O’FALLON WOMAN INDICTED FOR

TRANSPORTING ILLEGAL ALIENS

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – John F. Wood, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that an O’Fallon, Mo., woman has been indicted by a federal grand jury for transporting illegal aliens.

Alicia Catherine Goebel, 23, of O’Fallon, was charged with transporting 10 illegal aliens between Oct. 30 and Nov. 1, 2008, in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield on Tuesday, Nov. 18. The federal indictment replaces a criminal complaint that was filed against Goebel on Nov. 3, 2008.

According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Goebel was stopped by a Highway Patrol trooper on Nov. 1, 2008, while traveling in a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban with an Ohio license plate. Goebel was sitting in the front passenger seat, with an Hispanic male driving the vehicle and 10 more Hispanic individuals riding in the passenger and cargo area of the vehicle. According to the affidavit, the Hispanic individuals were later determined to be illegally in the United States. Goebel told law enforcement officers that they were traveling from Phoenix, Ariz., en route to Chicago, Ill.

Wood cautioned that the charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.

This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

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