Removed Alien Charged With Violating Immigration Laws

ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Oaxaca, Mexico, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of violating federal immigration laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

The two-count indictment named Rogelio Valencia-Sanchez, 42, as the sole defendant. According to the indictment presented to the court, on or about April 22, 2013, Valencia-Sanchez was found to be unlawfully present within the United States. Valencia-Sanchez had been previously ordered deported and removed from the United States on December 6, 1990 and was removed from the United States on March 29, 2005. The defendant subsequently reentered the United States, and was found to be present in this country without the permission from the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. In addition, Valencia-Sanchez also possessed a fraudulent Permanent Resident card.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 30 years in prison, a fine of $500,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Christine A. Sanner is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation leading to the indictment in this case.

An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.