The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Billings, on June 24, 2010, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, JUAN NUNO-RAMIREZ, SR., a 54-year-old resident of Billings, appeared for sentencing. RAMIREZ was sentenced to a term of:

• Special Assessment: $20

• Fine: $6,000

• Forfeiture: $16,900

NUNO-RAMIREZ was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to unlawful employment of aliens.

In an Offer of Proof filed by Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Seykora, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:

NUNO-RAMIREZ owns and operates the Guadalajara Restaurants located in Billings Billings, Montana. According to Billings City Government Records, NUNO-RAMIREZ is the sole owner of the restaurants located at 444 South 24th and 17 North 29th Street, and is partnered with his son, Saul, at the restaurant located at 1403 Main Street.

On October 7, 2004, NUNO-RAMIREZ and Salvadora Nuno-De Quiroga, the sister of NUNO-RAMIREZ who is an alien and illegally in the United States, procured a valid immigration document by fraudulent means. NUNO-RAMIREZ and Nuno-De Quiroga met with a federal agent, working in an undercover capacity, for the purpose of ordering the document for future delivery and paying the agent $2,500 as a down payment for the document they knew to be fraudulently procured. The currency was given to the undercover agent (UCA) by NUNO-RAMIREZ. The currency was maintained for forfeiture.

On December 15, 2004, in Bozeman, the UCA delivered the valid employment authorization document to NUNO-RAMIREZ that was purchased for Nuno-De Quiroga on October 7, 2004. NUNO-RAMIREZ paid the UCA a balance of $2,500 for the card.

On June 8, 2005, NUNO-RAMIREZ, Nuno-De Quiroga and Guillermo Ruelas-Reelas met with a federal agent working in an undercover for the purpose of obtaining additional valid employment authorization documents from the UCA by fraudulent means. During the meeting, the UCA received $3,500 from NUNO-RAMIREZ, $2,500 of which was the balance of $5,000 owed for a document for Omar Zepeda-Diaz and $1,000 for a renewal document for Nuno-De Quiroga.

On August 3, 2005, Nuno-De Quiroga procured a valid immigration document by fraudulent means. The document was a renewal for the one purchased on October 7, 2004.

On September 9, 2004, NUNO-RAMIREZ and Cesar Galarza-Nuno procured a valid immigration document by fraudulent means. NUNO-RAMIREZ and Galarza-Nuno met with a federal agent working in an undercover capacity for the purpose of ordering the document for future delivery and paying the agent $2,500 as a down payment for the document he knew to be fraudulently procured. The currency was given to the UCA by NUNO-RAMIREZ. The currency was maintained for forfeiture.

On December 2, 2004, in Billings, the UCA delivered the valid employment authorization document to NUNO-RAMIREZ that was purchased for Galarza-Nuno on September 9, 2004. NUNO-RAMIREZ paid the UCA a balance of $2,500 for the card.

On July 19, 2005, Galarza-Nuno procured a valid immigration document by fraudulent means. NUNO-RAMIREZ and Galarza-Nuno met with a federal agent working in an undercover capacity for the purpose of ordering the document for future delivery and paying the agent $900. The document is a renewal for the one purchased on September 9, 2004. The UCA received the currency from Galarza-Nuno. The currency was maintained for forfeiture.

On March 10, 2005, NUNO-RAMIREZ and Omar Zepeda-Diaz procured a valid immigration document by fraudulent means. NUNO-RAMIREZ and Zepeda-Diaz met with a federal agent working in an undercover capacity for the purpose of ordering the document for future delivery and paying the agent $2,500 as a down payment for the document they knew to be fraudulently procured. The currency was given to the UCA by Zepeda-Diaz. The currency was maintained for forfeiture. The total amount of cash subject to forfeiture is $16,900.

In the years 2005 and 2006, Salvadora Nuno-De Quiroga, an unauthorized alien, was hired and employed by NUNO-RAMIREZ.

In the years 2004, Jose Servellon, an unauthorized alien, was hired and employed by NUNO-RAMIREZ.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that NUNO-RAMIREZ will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, NUNO-RAMIREZ does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, and the Montana Division of Criminal Investigation.

 

 

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