Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Department of Justice
United States Attorney James R. Dedrick Eastern District of Tennessee
TRAFFIC STOP OF STOLEN VEHICLE RESULTS IN INDICTMENT FOR IMMIGRATION OFFENSES
KNOXVILLE, Tenn — Jorge Martinez-Garcia, William Alexander Martinez-Serrano and Israel Bonilla-Bonilla were indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury. Martinez-Garcia was charged with transporting known aliens within the United States for the purpose of financial gain. The maximum penalty for this charge is not more than 10 years in prison, not more than three (3) years supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. Martinez-Serrano and Bonilla-Bonilla, both aliens, were each charged with entering the United States without consent after deportation and removal from the United States. The maximum penalty for this offense is not more than two (2) years in prison, up to a $250,000 fine, and not more than one (1) year of supervised release.
All three defendants had an initial appearance today before the Honorable H. Bruce Guyton, United States Magistrate, in the United States District Court in Knoxville, Tennessee. Martinez-Garcia’s case is set for trial before the Honorable Thomas W. Phillips, United States District Judge, on June 9, 2010. Bonilla-Bonilla and Martinez-Serrano are also scheduled for trial before Judge Phillips on June 16, 2010.
On April 7, 2010, in Roane County, Tennessee, Martinez-Garcia was a driver in a van that was stolen out of California. According to the indictment, Martinez-Garcia was transporting Bonilla-Bonilla and Martinez-Serrano, knowing and recklessly disregarding the fact that Bonilla-Bonilla and Martinez-Serrano were aliens who had entered and remained in the United States illegally. The indictment further alleges that Martinez-Garcia transported Bonilla-Bonilla and Martinez Serrano within the United States for the purpose of private financial gain.
The indictment also charges that Martinez-Serrano was an alien who entered and was found in the United States after being deported and removed from the United States on or about March 3, 2010. Similarly, Bonilla-Bonilla was an alien who entered and was found in the United States after being deported and removed from the United States on or about September 12, 2008.
This investigation was conducted by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Bureau and the Ninth Judicial District Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney J. Edgar Schmutzer will represent the United States.
Members of the public are reminded that these are only charges and that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
