CHARLESTON, W.Va. – A Mexican national man pleaded guilty to the felony offense of reentry of a removed alien. Enoc Lopez-Garcia, 29, was found guilty by the Court and sentenced to “time served,” having spent approximately four months in federal custody. Lopez-Garcia was subsequently remanded to ICE custody for possible removal proceedings from the United States.
According to court documents and statements made during the hearing, on November 9, 2021, Lopez-Garcia was found in Parkersburg by members of ICE who had identified him during the course of an investigation. ICE agents spoke to the defendant to confirm his identity. Lopez-Garcia had no identification documents permitting him legal status in the United States, and he was placed under arrest.
Fingerprinting matched Lopez-Garcia to three prior administrative removals from the United States, one in 2014 and two in 2019. Lopez-Garcia has misdemeanor convictions in Jackson County for battery and brandishing deadly weapons. Lopez-Garcia never obtained permission to legally enter the United States and had not sought legal status or citizenship. Lopez-Garcia is a citizen of Mexico.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative efforts of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the Street Crimes Unit of the Parkersburg Police Department, and the United States Marshals Service.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Keefe and Erik S. Goes handled the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:21-cr-00248.
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