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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

RUBEN COTA-BECERRA 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 April 30, 2008, before Chief U.S. District Judge Richard F. Cebull, RUBEN COTA-BECERRA, age 43, appeared for sentencing. COTA-BECERRA was sentenced to a term of:

COTA-BECERRA 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 August 24, 2007, COTA-BECERRA was encountered by Yellowstone County Sheriff's deputies during a traffic stop for failing to obey a traffic signal in Billings. COTA-BECERRA was arrested for the traffic violation and transported to the Yellowstone County Detention Facility.

When interviewed, it was determined that COTA-BECERRA illegally in the United States. A fingerprint analysis identified COTA-BECERRA as a citizen of Mexico and revealed that he had been deported from the United States on September 25, 2000, through the Port of Nogales, Arizona.

Further investigation revealed that COTA-BECERRA did not have the consent of the Attorney General or his successor, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, to re-enter the United States after having been deported.

Because there is no parole in the federal system, the "truth in sentencing" guidelines mandate that COTA-BECERRA will likely serve all of the time imposed by the court. In the federal system, COTA-BECERRA 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 James E. Seykora prosecuted the case for the United States.

The investigation was a cooperative effort between the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.