Alien Found in Richland County Sentenced for Illegal Reentry

Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Oscar Santiago-Bello, age 34, of Columbia, South Carolina, was sentenced in federal court in Columbia, South Carolina, for Reentry of Removed Aliens, a violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326.  United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis, of Columbia, sentenced Santiago-Bello to time served (approximately 5 months imprisonment) with no supervised release because he is expected to be deported upon completion of his sentence.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that Santiago-Bello is a Mexican citizen who had previously been deported three times and had previously been convicted of illegal reentry. He was encountered by Department of Homeland Security/ICE-ERO officers on August 6, 2017 at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center after being arrested for unrelated state charges.

Officers of the Department of Homeland Security/ICE-ERO investigated this case.  Assistant United States Attorney William E. Day, II, of the Columbia office is prosecuting the case.   

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