Source: Office of United States Attorneys
BOSTON – A Guatemalan man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Edilzar Morales-Barillas, 36, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2025. Morales-Barillas was charged on July 31, 2024.
Morales-Barillas was deported from the United States on May 14, 2021. Sometime after his May 2021 removal, Morales-Barillas unlawfully reentered the United States. Immigration and Customs Enforcement became aware of Morales-Barillas’ unlawful presence in the United States on May 27, 2023, following his arrest for a fourth offense of operating under the influence of alcohol.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion 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 Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.