Twice-removed Illegal Alien Found in Pittsburgh Area is Charged with Immigration Violation

PITTSBURGH - A citizen of Mexico has been indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of violating federal immigration law, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced today.

The one-count Indictment, returned on March 20, named Damian Benitez-Castro, 43, as the sole defendant.

According to the Indictment, Benitez-Castro was previously deported or removed from the United States on October 14, 2008, and again on May 11, 2010. Benitez-Castro then illegally reentered the United States and was located in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 2 years in prison, a fine of $250,000.00, a term of supervised release of not more than 1 year, or a combination thereof. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant United States Attorney Ross E. Lenhardt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)/Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) 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.