ILLEGAL ALIEN PLEADS GUILTY IN FEDERAL COURT
BYRON JAVIER GODINEZ-LOPEZ, age 25, a resident of Guatemala, pled guilty in federal court yesterday before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Barbier to a one-count indictment charging him with making a false statement in a matter within the jurisdiction of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), announced U. S. Attorney Jim Letten.
According to court documents, GODINEZ-LOPEZ admitted that on June 3, 2008, he made materially false statements and entries in a written form as part of his application for Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC), and signed that form, certifying and stating that he satisfied the immigration status requirements.
GODINEZ-LOPEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine of $250,000, and three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. Sentencing is set for July 1, 2010 at 9:30 A.M.
The case was investigated by U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with the assistance of the U. S. Coast Guard. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U. S. Attorney Robert Weir.
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