Salvadoran indicted on Mass. immigration charges

Associated Press
Wednesday, February 8, 2012 7:55 pm

A former Salvadoran military officer accused of a role in the 1989 deaths of six Jesuit priests has been formally indicted in Massachusetts on charges he lied under oath and made false statements on U.S. immigration forms.

Inocente Orlando Montano was arrested on the immigration charges last year and had been expected to plead guilty but didn't. He's been free on bail.

Wednesday's indictment charges Montano with two counts of perjury and two more counts of making false immigration statements, a total of three. He could face 40 years in prison if convicted.

The 69-year-old Montano has lived near Boston for about a decade. He was among 20 Salvadorans separately indicted in Spain last year in connection with the slayings during El Salvador's 12-year civil war.

His Boston lawyer hasn't returned a call seeking comment.

Salvadoran indicted on Mass. immigration charges