Jul. 2, 2013 5:24 PM

Written by
Kevin Jenkins
thespectrum.com

ST. GEORGE — A man accused of smuggling illegal immigrants through Washington County was sentenced in federal court Tuesday and will be deported once he completes his time in jail.

Jose Dimas Sanchez-Patino pleaded guilty in April to allegations he was the driver of a Toyota Sequoia that was stopped in Hurricane last year with 11 passengers he knew had illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border into Arizona.

“Mr. Sanchez has taken responsibility for his actions,” defense attorney Jason Velez said, citing his client’s agreement to plead guilty to transporting illegal aliens and surrender any rights he might have in relation to the government’s seizure of his vehicle.

U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart noted that sentencing guidelines recommended Sanchez-Patino spend between 12 months and 18 months in prison based on the circumstances surrounding the crime and the defendant’s relative lack of criminal history.

Velez asked for the low end of the range, recommending 12 months plus one day for his client because any sentence exceeding the bare minimum would allow Sanchez-Patino to qualify for release nearly two months early under “good-time” benefits for model behavior.

Instead, Stewart sentenced Sanchez-Patino to the minimum 12 months without the extra day, which denied Sanchez-Patino the possibility of early release. Sanchez-Patino has already served eight months of incarceration since his arrest, and will likely remain in a local jail until completing his sentence, Velez said.

“There’s a significant difference between someone who’s in this country illegally and someone who’s facilitating others being here illegally,” Stewart said in explaining his reason for not granting good-time benefits.

Stewart added that the sentence was also meant to reflect that Sanchez-Patino was making money from the enterprise, and that it was the second time Sanchez-Patino was arrested on similar charges, although he was not convicted in the previous case.

Sanchez-Patino was driving the 11 passengers to different locations in the United States when a Hurricane police officer stopped the van for traffic violations. Investigators interviewed the passengers, who said they had entered the country through the desert near Nogales, Ariz., and were transported to a drop house, where Sanchez-Patino picked them up.

The passengers said they had paid between $2,000 and $4,700 to be smuggled across the border and to their intended destinations, according to arrest information provided to the courts.

Sanchez-Patino told the investigators he is from the state of Michoacan and had also entered the country illegally. After he completes his sentence, he will be delivered to immigration officials for deportation proceedings.

http://www.thespectrum.com/article/2...gal-immigrants