Five Aliens Indicted on Illegal Reentry Charges

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 VICTOR HUGO ESPINOZA-HERNANDEZ, age 50, of Honduras, IRAEL PEREZ-LOPEZ, age 34, of Guatemala, VICTOR SANCHEZ-ISMERIO, age 38, of Mexico, MELECIO MORALES, age 33, of Mexico, and ARTURO ESPINOZA-PEREZ, age 30, of Mexico, with Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien.

If convicted of illegal reentry of a deported alien, ESPINOZA-HERNANDEZ, previously removed from the United States and found in Nash County, PEREZ-LOPEZ, who has been convicted of Driving Under the Influence, was previously deported two times, and was found in Brunswick County, and SANCHEZ-ISMERIO, who was previously removed from the United States, has been convicted of attempted Forcible Rape in the Second Degree, and was found in Brunswick County, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

MORALES, previously deported three times and found in Sampson County, is alleged to have been previously removed subsequent to a felony conviction (conspiracy to manufacture marijuana).  Therefore, if convicted, Morales 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 illegal reentry subsequent to an aggravated felony, ESPINOZA-PEREZ, previously removed from the United States subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction (statutory rape), and found in Wake County, would face maximum penalties of 20 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

The charges and allegations contained in the 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.