Guatemalan Charged With Illegally Reentering United States
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Acting United States Attorney Robert S. Cessar announced today, May 14, 2010, that on May 13, 2010, Ismael Mendez‑Galicia, a/k/a Ismael Colorado‑Galicia, a/k/a Hugo Galicia, of Guatemala, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal immigration laws.
The one‑count indictment named Mendez‑Galicia, age 24, of Guatemala as the sole defendant.
According to the indictment, Mendez‑Galicia, having previously been deported from the United States on December 15, 2006, was present in the Western District of Pennsylvania on March 24, 2010, without having applied for and received permission from the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for re-application for admission into the United States.
Assistant United States Attorney Almon S. Burke, Jr., who presented the case to the grand jury, indicated that the law provides for a maximum total sentence of 2 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
