Columbia, South Carolina---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Juan Jose Mejia-Contador, age 23, from Mexico pled guilty in federal court in Florence, South Carolina, to Illegal Re-Entry into the United States after deportation, a violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a). United States District Judge Bryan Harwell, of Florence, accepted the plea and will impose sentence after he has reviewed the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
Evidence presented at the change of plea hearing established that on Nov. 26, 2017, ICE-ERO Officers assigned to the Pacific Enforcement Response Center discovered Mejia-Contador while he was in custody at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center in Horry County on state charges. Immigration records revealed that Mejia-Contador was a native and citizen of Mexico who had previously been deported from the United States on five occasions. Mejia-Contador has never received permission to enter or remain in the United States.
Ms. Drake stated the maximum penalty Mejia-Contador can receive is imprisonment for 2 years and a fine of $250,000.00.
The case was investigated by officers of the ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operations in Charleston, with the assistance of the Conway Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney A. Bradley Parham of the Florence office is prosecuting the case. ##
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
