Five Aliens Indicted on Charges for Illegal Reentry, Unlawful and Illegal Alien in Possession of a Firearm, and Other Mutltiple Federal Offenses

RALEIGH – Robert J. Higdon, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned indictments charging ABEL CARLOS ANGELES-MORALES, age 31, of Mexico, BERNARDO VILLALBA-QUITERIO, age 29, of Mexico, and OSCAR OBDULIO LOPEZ-GARCIA, age 53, of Guatemala, with illegal reentry of a deported alien.  Additionally, a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned superseding indictments charging FAOZI SALEH ALAYAH, age 32, of Yemen, with unlawful and illegal alien in possession of a firearm and false statement in an immigration proceeding, and MIGUEL RAIMUNDO RODRIGUEZ, age 45, of Cuba, with misuse of a Social Security account number, false claim of United States citizenship with intent to engage unlawfully in employment and obtain a benefit or service in the United States, and aggravated identity theft.

If convicted of illegal reentry of a deported alien, ANGELES-MORALES, previously deported three times and found in Wake County, and VILLALBA-QUITERIO, previously deported twice and found in Tyrrell County, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

If convicted of illegal reentry subsequent to a felony conviction (sale of a controlled substance), LOPEZ-GARCIA, previously deported four times and found in Lenoir County, would face a maximum imprisonment term of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

If convicted of unlawful and illegal alien in possession of a firearm and false statement in an immigration proceeding, ALAYAH, found in Halifax County, would face a maximum imprisonment term of 15 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

If convicted of misuse of a Social Security account number, false claim of United States citizenship with intent to engage unlawfully in employment in the United States and obtain a benefit or service, and aggravated identity theft, RODRIGUEZ, found in Cumberland County, would face a maximum imprisonment term of 36 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictments and superseding indictments are merely accusations.  The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. 

The cases are being investigated by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, and Homeland Security Investigations.