Columbia, South Carolina ---- United States Attorney Beth Drake stated today that Jesus Patino-Lopez, age 31, of Murrells Inlet, SC, pled guilty in federal court in Florence, to Illegal Re-Entry into the United States, a violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a). United States Magistrate Judge Thomas E. Rogers, III, of Florence, accepted the plea, and United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr., of Spartanburg, will impose sentence after review of the presentence report which will be prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
The evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that on June 23, 2017, ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operations Officers in Charleston, SC, encountered Patino-Lopez at the J. Reuben Long Detention Center where he was detained for local charges.
A records check revealed that Patino-Lopez is a native and citizen of Mexico and had two prior removals in 2009. On both occasions, he was removed from the United States back to Mexico. A records check also revealed that Patino-Lopez had not received permission to enter, re-enter, or remain in the United States.
The maximum penalty the Defendant can receive for this charge is 2 years imprisonment.
This case was investigated by officers of the ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Horry County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Hummel of the Florence office handled the case. ##
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
