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Press Release

Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts

BOSTON – A Dominican national pleaded guilty today to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.

Melvin Baez Peguero, 46, a Dominican national residing in Boston, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2022. Baez was arrested on June 29, 2021.

In 2010, Baez pleaded guilty to various federal drug trafficking offenses, and was sentenced to five years in prison. After completing his sentence, Baez was ordered removed from the United States.

In November 2020, law enforcement identified a parcel containing an industrial pill press shipped to an address in Allston. During a controlled delivery of that parcel Baez was observed taking the parcel back to his residence in Boston where his identity was confirmed. At the time, Baez had not obtained consent to re-apply for admission to the United States.

The charge of illegal reentry provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Baez will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney Nathanial R. Mendell and Matthew B. Millhollin, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Estes of Mendell’s Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.

Updated October 28, 2021

Topic
Immigration