Prosecutors say man re-entered US after four previous deportations

By: SIMONE FRANCIS

Posted: Jan 31, 2019 04:28 PM MST

Updated: Jan 31, 2019 04:32 PM MS

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4 News) – A Guatemalan national was charged with transporting undocumented immigrants for money.

A federal grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday afternoon charging Roland Gomez-Gomez, of Los Angeles, with three counts of “transporting an alien for financial gain” and one count of illegally re-entering the country.

The charges allege that Gomez-Gomez knowingly smuggled individuals, who were in the country illegally, within the United States for money.

Gomez-Gomez was arrested on January 29 after a traffic stop in Summit County. A Summit County deputy, who is also a task force officer for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, stopped a van speeding on Interstate 80.

According to a probable cause statement, Gomez-Gomez produced Guatemalan driver's license that looked to fraudulent. The officer also noticed several male passengers in the back of the van. Other special agents with Homeland Security and ICE responded to help with an investigation. Eventually, the group was taken to the ICE field office in West Valley City. Three of the individuals riding in the van had been previously deported from the United States.

Investigators said Gomez-Gomez has been deported from the U.S. four times. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 92 years in prison for all charges.

https://www.abc4.com/news/local-news...ney/1743680929