Thread: Peabody Pair Arrested on Charges of Alien Smuggling

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Peabody Pair Arrested on Charges of Alien Smuggling and Operating an Illegal Money Remittal Business, Reports U.S. Attorney
Tuesday June 28, 5:32 pm ET


BOSTON, June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Two Peabody residents were arrested today on federal charges of alien smuggling and operating an unlicensed money remittal business.
United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Robin M. Avers, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; Joseph A. Galasso, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; and Robert L. Champagne, Chief of the Peabody Police Department, announced today that MARIO VIANA, age 39, of 111 Central Street, Peabody, and JULIO VIANA, age 37, of Peabody were arrested today on separate criminal Complaints. MARIO VIANA is charged with smuggling aliens into the United States and operating an unlicensed money remittal business. JULIO VIANA is also charged with operating an unlicensed money remittal business, and structuring.

According to affidavits filed in support of the Complaints it is alleged that MARIO VIANA is the owner of a convenience store "Family Market" located at 47 Main Street in Peabody. JULIO VIANA, MARIO VIANA's brother, also worked at the store.

It is alleged that MARIO VIANA assisted in smuggling aliens into the United States charging upwards of $10,000 for each person. After being smuggled into the United States, the illegal aliens would work at Family Market to repay the debt they incurred. It is also alleged that MARIO VIANA would require the illegal aliens to provide him with a deed to property in their country of origin as collateral until the smuggling fee was paid.

It is further alleged that MARIO and JULIO VIANA operated an unlicensed money remittal business out of the Family Market location. In January 2004 the Family Market, which up to that point had been operating a money remittal business legally, had its money remittal license terminated. It is alleged that despite the license termination, the VIANAs continued to operate their money remittal business, wire transferring a total of nearly $1.1 million within the United States and abroad from late January to July of 2004.

It is further alleged that JULIO VIANA was responsible for making structured financial transactions of less than $10,000 to avoid reporting requirements of banks.

Both defendants were arrested earlier today on the charges and appeared this afternoon in federal district court in Worcester before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles B. Swartwood, III. They are currently being held without bail pending a detention hearing scheduled for Thursday, June 30, 2005 at 10:00 A.M. If convicted, MARIO faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on the alien smuggling charge and 5 years in prison on the operating an unlicensed money remittal business charge. JULIO faces 5 years in prison on the operating an unlicensed money remittal business charge and 5 years in prison on the structuring charge. Both defendants also face up to 3 years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine on each of the charges.

The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Peabody Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadine Pellegrini, Deputy Chief of Sullivan's Major Crimes Unit.

The details contained in the complaints are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

10 years plus 5 years = 15 years. Didn't they miss the 5 years per alien they aided and abetted? Isn't "smuggling" aiding and abetting?

Take all their money and lock them up for life!!