FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
COSME SANCHEZ-ESPINO PLEADS GUILTY IN U.S. FEDERAL COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Helena on October 10, 2007, before Senior U.S. District Judge Charles C. Lovell, COSME SANCHEZ-ESPINO, age 25, pled guilty to illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. Sentencing is set for January 11, 2008. He is currently detained.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On June 22, 2007, deputies from the Meagher County Sheriff's Office encountered COSME SANCHEZ-ESPINO while investigating a loud noise complaint at a campground. SANCHEZ-ESPINO identified himself as Gustavo Barragan-Huezo with a Washington State driver's license. SANCHEZ-ESPINO was detained due to prior information that SANCHEZ-ESPINO'S status in the United States was not known and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) wanted to investigate.
By checking SANCHEZ-ESPINO'S fingerprints with immigration records, it was revealed that SANCHEZ-ESPINO is Barragan's true name and that he is a citizen of Mexico. It also revealed that SANCHEZ-ESPINO had been previously deported from the United States five times: April 15, 2003, from Otay Mesa, CA; April 30, 2004, from Otay Mesa, CA; July 12, 2004, from San Ysidro, CA; August 18, 2004, from Nogales, AZ; and September 9, 2006, from San Ysidro, CA.
During an interview on June 26, 2007, SANCHEZ-ESPINO admitted that he is a citizen and national of Mexico who had been previously deported from the United States five times. He further admitted to being in the United States illegally.
A further review of the records revealed no evidence that SANCHEZ-ESPINO ever requested permission to apply for re-entry into the United States from the Attorney General of the United States, or his successor, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
SANCHEZ-ESPINO faces possible penalties of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Paulette L. Stewart prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Meagher County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
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A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
