BAR OWNERS SENTENCED FOR  HARBORING ALIENS

(MCALLEN, Texas) - Tereso Murrillo Olivo, 55, and Nancy Olivo, 44, of Mission, Texas, have been sentenced for conspiring to harbor aliens, United States Attorney José Angel Moreno announced today.

U.S. District Court Judge Randy Crane today sentenced Tereso to 15 months incarceration without parole to be followed by a two-year-term of supervised release. His wife, Nancy Olivo, was sentenced to time served and a two-year-term of supervised release which includes a six-month-term of home confinement.

In April 2010, agents received information that El Centenario Bar, a bar Tereso and Nancy Olivo owned and operated in Mission, Texas, was employing undocumented aliens as barmaids. On Sept. 9, 2010, agents arrived at the couples’ residence where they found three illegal aliens residing. The investigation later determined these aliens as well as others worked at the bar owned by the defendants.  

On Oct. 22, 2010, the Olivos appeared before Judge Randy Crane and entered their pleas of guilty to one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens. At today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Crane held the defendants accountable for illegally harboring a total of six aliens.

Tereso Olivo has been in custody without bond where he will remain pending transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility to be designated in the near future where he will serve his sentence.

The investigation leading to the charges against the Olivos was conducted through a joint effort between Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations and Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Ann Leo prosecuted the case.

# # #