Honduran National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

BOSTON – A Honduran man pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court in Boston to being a previously deported alien present in the United States.

Rumeni D. Romero, 32, a Honduran citizen, pleaded guilty to a one-count indictment of being a previously deported alien present in the United States. U.S. District Court Senior Judge Douglas P. Woodlock scheduled sentencing for July 11, 2017.

In January 2017, Romero was encountered by agents in Chelsea and determined to be illegally present in the United States. During an interview, Romero admitted to being an alien who had multiple prior deportations and that he had not received permission to reenter the United States.

According to court documents, between 2006 and 2013, Romero was deported four times. In 2004, he was determined to be illegally present in the United States and was placed into removal proceedings. On Feb. 23, 2006, he was deported to Honduras. In January 2010, while serving a sentence at the Suffolk County House of Corrections, Romero was again determined to be illegally present in the United States. Following the completion of his sentence, Romero was placed into removal proceedings, and on April 5, 2010, he was deported to Honduras. Later that same year, in December 2010, Romero was encountered by agents in Texas, determined to be illegally present in the U.S. and charged with illegal reentry. He pleaded guilty and was again deported in June 2011 following the completion of his sentence. In December 2012, Romero was arrested in Somerville, Mass., and deported for the fourth time on Dec. 12, 2013.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting United States Attorney William D. Weinreb and Matthew Etre, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth G. Shine of Weinreb’s Major Crimes Unit.