Date: 05-08-2017

Case Style:

Case Number: 4:17-cr-40004-TSH

Judge: Timothy S. Hillman

Court: United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (Worcester County)

Plaintiff's Attorney: William F. Abely

Defendant's Attorney: Leonardo Angiulo

Description: Worester, MA - Colombian National Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry After Deportation

Hernan Lopez Castaneda, aka Carlos Velasquez, aka Gustavo Velandia, 60, a Colombian national who was residing in Queens, N.Y., pleaded guilty to one count of illegal re-entry of a deported alien.

Lopez has illegally entered the United States on multiple occasions. He was first deported in 2006. In 2013, Lopez was convicted in federal court of illegal re-entry of a deported alien and was deported. Lopez re-entered the United States and was again removed in September 2015. Sometime after his removal in September 2015, Lopez again illegally re-entered the United States.

On Dec. 28, 2016, law enforcement officers in Auburn, Mass., stopped Lopez for two traffic violations as he exited the Auburn Mall. When asked for his license and registration, Lopez was unable to produce a license, but provided the officers with a passport with a false name. The officers arrested Lopez for operating a motor vehicle without a license, and his vehicle was towed. Prior to the tow, officers inventoried the vehicle and found thousands of dollars’ worth of retail merchandise that was deemed stolen. Police learned Lopez’s legal name and immigration status when he was fingerprinted during booking.

The charging statute provides for a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Lopez will be subject to deportation upon completion of his sentence. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Outcome: Guilty

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Defendant's Experts:

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