The United States Attorney's Office announced that during a federal court session in Great Falls, on November 29, 2010, before U.S. District Judge Sam E. Haddon, JUAN CARLOS ORELLANA-HERNANDEZ, a 30-year-old citizen of Honduras, appeared for sentencing. ORELLANA-HERNANDEZ was sentenced to a term of:

• Prison: 155 days (time served)

• Special Assessment: $100

• Supervised Release: 1 year

ORELLANA-HERNANDEZ was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to illegal re-entry.

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

In the early morning of June 28, 2010, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Patrol agents arrived in Harlem at the request of a Blaine County Sheriff's deputy. The deputy had encountered ORELLANA-HERNANDEZ in a car on the side of a road near Harlem and requested assistance from the Border Patrol because he was unable to communicate with him. The Border Patrol agents learned ORELLANA-HERNANDEZ's name and that he did not have documentation allowing him to remain in the United States.

A review of immigration records and a fingerprint analysis revealed that ORELLANA-HERNANDEZ, an alien and citizen of Honduras, had previously been deported from the United States on three occasions: February 2, 2000, through the Port of Houston, Texas; on January 23, 2002, through Chandler, Arizona; and on July 31, 2009, through Atlanta, Georgia.

Further review of immigration records found no evidence that ORELLANA-HERNANDEZ ever requested permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to re-enter the United States.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Blaine County Sheriff's Office and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

 

 

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