Mexican national charged with possession of forged, counterfeit green card
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – A Mexican citizen unlawfully present in the United States was charged Wednesday in federal court for fraud and being in possession of forged alien registration card. The charges stem from an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removals Operations (ERO).
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Richard S. Hartunian and Acting Field Office Director Thomas P. Brophy for ERO Buffalo.
Jose Guzman-Lopez faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release for up to three years. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Following his court appearance, he was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Jose Guzman-Lopez was arrested May 2 by ERO deportation officers in Ithaca, New York, and charged with administrative immigration violations. During the arrest, the officers discovered Guzman-Lopez possessed a fraudulent alien registration card in his wallet. Guzman-Lopez is a citizen of Mexico and has no legal status in the United States.
“Mr. Guzman-Lopez came to our attention after having been charged locally for his possible involvement in a criminal matter,” said ERO Buffalo Acting Field Office Director Thomas Brophy. “This arrest is indicative of ERO’s commitment to public safety and our efforts to protect the integrity of our immigration system. The ERO staff in Buffalo will continue to fulfill the mission of ERO and are dedicated to protecting our local communities.”
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by ERO and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Miroslav Lovric.
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