Illegal Alien Sentenced To 2 Years In Prison For Immigration Violations

PITTSBURGH - An individual found by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service has been sentenced in federal court to 24 months on his conviction of false statement under oath in a proceeding or matter related to naturalization and re-entry into the United States after deportation, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Ernesto Ivan Lazo-Rodriguez, a/k/a Daniel Mancero, 35, formerly from El Salvador.

According to information presented to the court, Lazo-Rodriguez, an alien, was admitted to the United States as a permanent resident on Dec. 2, 1993. Under the alias of Daniel Mancero, Lazo-Rodriguez was arrested and convicted of Aggravated Robbery and Robbery by the State of Texas. Lazo-Rodriguez under the alias of Daniel Mancero, was removed from the United States by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement on June 27, 2000. Lazo-Rodriguez ultimately returned to the United States and applied for naturalization. At his naturalization interview with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service on July 18, 2012, Lazo-Rodriguez denied ever being previously arrested and denied ever being previously removed or deported.

Assistant United States Attorney Shardul S. Desai prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lazo-Rodriguez.