United States of America v. Mario Lopez

Boston, Massachusetts criminal defense lawyer represented the Defendant charged with Unlawful Reentry

Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Reentry

A Guatemalan national, illegally residing in New Bedford, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.



Mario Lopez, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2025. Lopez was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2025.



Lopez was deported from the United States on Dec. 8, 2010 after an assault conviction in Maryland. In 2022, after his removal, Lopez attempted to return to the United States twice but was denied entry. Thereafter, Lopez unlawfully reentered the United States on an unknown date.



In November 2023, Lopez was arrested by local law enforcement in Westport on an open warrant. Lopez was later arrested in March 2024 in New Bedford for unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, open and gross lewdness and an open container violation. He was arrested again in New Bedford, in December 2024 for operating under the influence of liquor, leaving the scene of property damage, negligent operation and other charges.



The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien in this case provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.



United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.