A Salvadorian national, Juan Alberto Orellana Pena, has admitted guilt to illegally reentering the United States after being deported. The 52-year-old entered his plea for one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien before U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman. Sentencing is scheduled for September 4, 2025.
Orellana Pena was initially arrested on a criminal complaint and later indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2024. He has been in custody since his arrest.
His history with U.S. law enforcement dates back to 1998 when he was convicted of indecent assault and battery on a person aged 14 or older in Worcester District Court. He was removed from the United States in May 2008 but unlawfully returned at an unspecified date thereafter.
In August 2012, Orellana Pena was stopped for speeding in Uxbridge, leading to another indictment for illegal reentry in October of that year. He received a sentence of one year and a day in federal prison and was removed again from the United States upon completing this sentence in November 2013.
Federal authorities discovered his latest return after his arrest in Worcester on June 16, 2024, for charges including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.
The charge against him carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years imprisonment, three years supervised release, and fines reaching $250,000. Deportation proceedings will follow any imposed sentence. Sentences are determined by federal district court judges based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Leah B. Foley alongside Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director at Boston's U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett from the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
