Press Release
Houston Jury Convicts Woman Of Alien Smuggling Resulting In Death
For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of Texas
HOUSTON – Demi Mishel Muniz, of Los Angeles, Calif., has been convicted of conspiracy to transport and harbor aliens resulting in the death of a 38-year-old illegal alien from Mexico, U.S. Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. The Houston federal jury returned its verdict just a short time ago following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal.
During trial, testimony revealed that on Aug. 18, 2010, the Oldham County Sheriff’s Office was notified there was a body on the side of Interstate 40 outside of Vega, approximately 20 miles west of Amarillo. The identity of the deceased was discovered following receipt of an inquiry from the alien’s son.
The deceased was in the process of being smuggled from Mexico into the United States, being transported from Houston to Los Angeles, Calif. During the course of the journey, Muniz contacted the wife of the deceased and provided a bank account number for the deposit of $650 in smuggling fees. Subsequently, Muniz contacted the wife again and informed her he was ill. The wife told Muniz her husband was a diabetic and required insulin and requested he be taken to a hospital. Muniz refused and stated she had other people in the van and had to keep moving. A few hours later, the wife was called and told not to deposit the money into the bank account because her husband had been “left behind.”
An autopsy on the body of the deceased determined he had died of a combination of pneumonia and diabetes. Testimony also revealed that had the deceased received proper and timely medical care, he likely would have survived.
The bank accounts of Muniz were extensively reviewed and it was determined that approximately $84,000 in the account was derived from unknown sources. Agents determined many of the deposits were from various other states and that this was a characteristic consistent with alien smuggling operations.
A co-defendant testified Muniz and others were heavily involved in alien smuggling and that during the course of the trip Muniz refused to provide help to the deceased.
Although Muniz previously said she was not involved in the smuggling venture and was not in the van with the deceased, Muniz elected to testify in the trial and admitted to being in the van, but said she did not know the aliens were illegal. She further denied having talked to the widow and also denied being told the deceased was diabetic and required insulin. The jury disagreed and found her guilty.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 14, 2013, at which time she faces up to life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
The case was investigated by the Oldham County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Rangers, Texas Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Julie Searle and Douglas Davis prosecuted the case.
Updated April 30, 2015
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