FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
JORGE LUIS CARO-RAMOS SENTENCED IN U.S. DISTRICT COURT
Bill Mercer, United States Attorney for the District of Montana, announced today that during a federal court session in Billings, on December 12, 2007, before Senior U.S. District Judge Jack D. Shanstrom, JORGE LUIS CARO-RAMOS, age 48, appeared for sentencing. CARO-RAMOS was sentenced to a term of:
- Prison: 40 months
- Special Assessment: $100
- Supervised Release: 3 years
CARO-RAMOS was sentenced in connection with his guilty plea to illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien.
In an Offer of Proof filed by the United States, the government stated it would have proved at trial the following:
On November 27, 2006, agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement were contacted by the Montana Highway Patrol in Glendive. CARO-RAMOS had told Highway Patrol officers his name was Jorge Melgarejo, but he did not have any identification. A check of immigration records did not reveal any records for an individual under the name provided by CARO-RAMOS.
CARO-RAMOS subsequently admitted that he was an alien and citizen of Mexico who was in the United States illegally. He also stated that his real name was Jorge Caro-Ramos, that he was born on April 18, 1959, and that he had been deported from the United States in 1998.
A fingerprint analysis confirmed his identity and revealed that he had previously been removed from the United States on November 19, 1998, through Detroit, Michigan.
A further review of immigration records found no evidence that CARO-RAMOS had ever requested permission from immigration authorities to apply for re-entry into the United States.
Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that CARO-RAMOS will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, CARO-RAMOS does have the opportunity to earn a sentence reduction for "good behavior." However, this reduction will not exceed 15% of the overall sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Lahr prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Montana Highway Patrol and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
