Mexican Citizen Living Illegally in Charleston Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Immigration Crime

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Julio Cesar Ruiz-Perez, 21, a citizen of Mexico living illegally in Charleston, pleaded guilty today to possession of a counterfeit Social Security card with the intent to defraud the United States and was sentenced to time served. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has an immigration detainer on Ruiz-Perez so he can be transferred to ICE administrative custody for removal proceedings.

According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 11, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Charleston residence and encountered Ruiz-Perez. ICE agents confirmed that Ruiz-Perez is a citizen of Mexico and in the United States illegally. Officers found a counterfeit Social Security card in his name during the search. Ruiz-Perez has no legal identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States. Ruiz-Perez possessed the fake Social Security card to verify fraudulently that he is eligible to work in the United States.

Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston made the announcement and commended the investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of Operation Take Back America.

Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).

A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-86.

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