Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty yesterday to illegal reentry. 

Severino Perez-Guzman, 30, pleaded guilty to illegal reentry before U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton who scheduled sentencing for Oct. 7, 2020. Perez-Guzman is currently in state custody pending unrelated charges.

In 2012, Perez-Guzman was encountered by immigration officials in Texas and determined to be illegally present in the United States. Perez-Guzman was placed into removal proceedings but later filed an asylum claim, and was released on bail. While awaiting determination on his asylum claim, Perez-Guzman was arrested and later convicted of possession of a firearm in Lawrence District Court. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison and, upon completion of his sentence, was deported to the Dominican Republic on Oct. 18, 2016.

Sometime after his deportation, Perez-Guzman illegally reentered the United States and on March 5, 2019, was arrested and charged with distribution of fentanyl and possession of child pornography. Those matters are currently pending in Essex County Superior Court. While detained in custody in these matters, Perez-Guzman was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted his alienage, his prior removal, and that he did not have permission to reenter the United States.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

United States Attorney Andrew E. Lelling and Todd Lyons, Acting Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Boston, made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Lelling’s Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.