Twice Removed Illegal Alien Sentenced To Time Served For Again Re-entering U.S.

PITTSBURGH - A resident of Mexico pleaded guilty and was sentenced in federal court to 6 months time served on his conviction of reentry of removed alien, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.

United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Salvador Lopez-Santiz, a/k/a Salvadore Santos, 24, of Mexico.

According to information presented to the court, alien Lopez-Santiz, who had been twice before removed from the United States - on Oct. 13, 2012 and Oct. 24, 2012 - was found in the United States in Pittsburgh, Pa., on Aug. 12, 2014 without having obtained permission to reentry the country.

Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Schwab stated that the sentence was sufficient but not greater than necessary in this instance; but if defendant again re-enters the U.S. without permission a subsequent sentence could be substantially greater.

Assistant United States Attorney Leo M. Dillon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.

U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Department of Homeland Security for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lopez-Santiz.