Illegal Aliens Plead Guilty to Illegal Re-Entry Charges

Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Juan Ramos-De Jesus, age 41, and Ignacio Montanez-Torres, age 42, both from Mexico, pled guilty in federal court in Florence, South Carolina, to Illegal Re-Entry into the United States after deportation, a violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a).  United States District Judge Bryan Harwell of Florence accepted the plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.

Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that ICE-ERO Officers on January 14, 2018,  discovered Juan Ramos-De Jesus and on February 9, 2018 discovered Montanez-Torres while they were in custody at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Horry County on state charges.  Immigration records revealed that Ramos-De Jesus and Montanez-Torres are natives and citizens of Mexico who had previously been deported from the United States.  Ramos-De Jesus nor Montanez-Torres have never received permission to enter or remain in the United States.

Ms. Drake stated the maximum penalty both could receive is imprisonment for 2 years and a fine of $250,000.00.

The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations in Charleston, with the assistance of the Horry County Sheriff’s Office.  Assistant United States Attorney A. Bradley Parham of the Florence office is prosecuting the case.

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