Nine Aliens Indicted on Immigration, Passport, and Social Security Offenses

RALEIGH – John Stuart Bruce, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, announces that a federal grand jury in Raleigh has returned indictments charging GRACIANO BERMUDEZ-OCHOA, age 39, of Mexico, JUAN CARLOS CUANAS-PEDRO, age 30, of Mexico, ANTONIO LAMAS-RIOS, age 42, of Mexico, SERGIO MENDOZA-GOMEZ, age 48, of Mexico, MARBIN RAMIREZ-PEREZ, age 36, of Honduras, FELIPE RENTERIA-GOMEZ, age 35, of Mexico, ABIEL ROBLERLO-VASQUEZ, age 27, of Mexico, and JOSE ALFONSO RODRIGUEZ-GARCIA, age 49, of El Salvador, with Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien. Also, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging LUCAS RIVERA-HERNANDEZ, age 41, of Mexico, with Passport Fraud and False Representation of a Social Security Account Number.

If convicted of Illegal Reentry of a Deported Alien, BERMUDEZ-OCHOA, CUANAS-PEDRO, RAMIREZ-PEREZ, and ROBLERO-VASQUEZ, would face maximum penalties of two years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

LAMAS-RIOS and RENTERIA-GOMEZ are alleged to have been previously deported subsequent to a felony conviction (sale or transportation of a controlled substance, and trafficking cocaine, respectively). Therefore, if convicted, they face a maximum imprisonment term of 10 years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

MENDOZA-GOMEZ is alleged to have been previously deported subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction (attempted second degree robbery). RODRIGUEZ-GARCIA is alleged to have been previously deported ten times and having sustained aggravated felony convictions (grand theft and illegal reentry subsequent to an aggravated felony conviction). If convicted, both face a maximum imprisonment term of twenty years, a $250,000 fine, and a term of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.

If convicted of Passport Fraud and False Representation of a Social Security Account Number, RIVERA-HERNANDEZ would face maximum penalties of 10 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 the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service.