FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 28, 2008
ALEJANDRO MONJE-GARCIA 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 Missoula on February 28, 2008, before U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy, ALEJANDRO MONJE-GARCIA, a 31-year-old citizen of Mexico, pled guilty to illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. Sentencing is set for June 5, 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 October 21, 2006, a Montana Highway Patrol officer stopped a vehicle that MONJE-GARCIA was driving on Interstate 90 near Superior. The officer eventually searched the vehicle and seized a significant quantity of marijuana, for which MONJE-GARCIA was charged and convicted by the State of Montana.
An agent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement interviewed MONJE-GARCIA during the course of the investigation and MONJE-GARCIA admitted that he was an alien illegally present in the United States.
A review of immigration records reflected that MONJE-GARCIA was deported from the United States on March 21, 2001, from Otay Mesa, California. A further review of immigration records found no evidence that MONJE-GARCIA had applied for permission to reenter the United States with either the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security or the Attorney General.
MONJE-GARCIA faces possible penalties of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Racicot prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was a cooperative effort between the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Montana Highway Patrol.
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A copy of the Offer of Proof can be obtained by contacting Sally Frank at (406) 247-4638.
