Thread: TX: Illegals Imprisoned For Drugs, Other Charges

Illegals Imprisoned For Drugs, Other Charges
By CASEY KNAUPP
Staff Writer
Aug 2, 2007

Five illegal immigrants were sentenced to federal prison Wednesday for drug charges, producing false documents and returning to the United States after deportation.

Sacramento Silva-Alvarez, also known as Ricardo Alvarez-Silva, was sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison after he pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute 29.3 grams of methamphetamine on Aug. 13 in Smith County and for illegally possessing a rifle and pistol during a drug-trafficking crime.

He was also charged with possessing the firearms while being an illegal alien.

U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis sentenced the defendant to four years and nine months for the drug charge and five years for the gun charge. He will serve the sentences consecutively. The judge also recommended that he undergo drug treatment while in prison.

Fernando Vargas, also known as Jose Garcia Sanchez, 33, Bullard, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for conspiracy to produce false identification documents.

Vargas was indicted on 29 charges, along with Saul Zamora Munoz, also known as "El Tio," 33, of Bullard, and Raul Martinez Rivera, 44, a transient. They were charged with transferring and producing false identification documents, including a Texas driver's license, a U.S. resident alien card and a Social Security card, according to court records.

He was represented by defense attorney Darren Grant while Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Middleton is prosecuting the case.

Munoz has also pleaded guilty to conspiracy and was sentenced to 15 months in prison, while the indictment against Rivera was dismissed.

Juan Ramirez-Suarez, also known as Jose Roberto Olguin-San Augustine, 29, was sentenced to three years and eight months in prison for being an illegal alien found in Van Zandt County on Dec. 21. He was deported Dec. 13, 2005, after being convicted of selling cocaine in Georgia.

Defense attorney Darren Grant said his client is facing additional prison time for violating his supervised release in Georgia.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen Hurst prosecuted the case.

David Perez-Julian, 45, Smith County, was sentenced to two years in prison for being an illegal alien found in Smith County on Aug. 21 after deportation. Also known as Toribio Ruiz, the defendant has been convicted of an aggravated felony in South Texas and was deported in 2004 to Mexico. On Aug. 30, 2005, Perez-Julian was arrested by Tyler police on a 1999 forgery charge out of Smith County and in August 2006 he was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

He was defended by Steven Green, while Hurst prosecuted the case.

Jose A. Perez, 22, of Longview, was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for being found illegally in Gregg County after he was deported.

Perez was sent to prison in 2003 for possessing and distributing meth. He was deported in 2004 but came back into the country and was arrested on Oct. 1 in Gregg County for possessing a controlled substance, fleeing from a police officer and failure to identify himself or giving false information to police.

He was represented by U.S. Public Defender Ken Hawk while Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Moore prosecuted the case.

Judge Davis ordered all five defendants to report to immigration officials for deportation proceedings after they are released from prison. All of the men used Spanish-speaking interpreters in court on Wednesday.

http://www.tylerpaper.com/apps/pbcs.dll ... /708020315

In my neck of the woods Silva would have got six months to a year tops. About a 1400 dollar fine, 100 hours of community service and put on probation for a year. The feds most likely would not have been called.

Actually, Texas is becoming a 'jail state'. I don't know, but I'd be willing to bet we rank way up there in number of prisons. I am talking new prisons and 'for profit' prisons.

So rather than deport these scumbags and keeping them out, they just put them in the 'for profit' prisons of their good buddies and take our monies to pay for their upkeep.

In fact, it would not surprise me to find out that the supposed crackdown on illegal criminals wasn't instigated by these prison corporations. I am convinced the harsh sentences for pretty minor drug offences were.

I mean XYZ Corpioration builds 10 new prisons - they have to keep them full. They have to rely on the government to keep them full.

Don't get me wrong, I am all for getting them off the streets, and I don't know what else to do - but this sudden change of heart has money behind it.

The worst of the worst operate from within the prison systems of our country.
For none violent crimes placing otherwise fairly decent people in prisons only expose them to worse corruption and educate them on how to get away with it.

Deportation is a better option if there are factors in place to reduce or stop the offenders from just coming back to America to break our laws again.