FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 03, 2008
LUIS DEBORA-HERNANDEZ 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 Billings on April 2, 2008, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, LUIS DEBORA-HERNANDEZ, a 39-year-old citizen of Mexico, pled guilty to illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien. Sentencing is set for June 12, 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 January 19, 2008, DEBORA-HERNANDEZ was arrested in Laurel. During administrative processing, DEBORA-HERNANDEZ was identified as an alien and citizen of Mexico. He was fingerprinted and identified as having been deported from the United States on August 3, 2007, through El Paso, Texas.
Further investigation revealed that DEBORA-HERNANDEZ did not have the consent of the Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to re-enter the United States after being deported.
DEBORA-HERNANDEZ faces possible penalties of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years supervised release.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Seykora prosecuted the case for the United States.
The investigation was conducted by 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.
