Leah B. Foley United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts | Department of Justice
A Dominican national residing in Lawrence has admitted guilt in a federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after being deported. Melvin Villar, aged 60, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper has set the sentencing date for September 16, 2025. Villar was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025.
Villar's arrest occurred on February 2, 2025, by immigration authorities at the Essex County House of Correction in Middleton following his release from state custody on narcotics trafficking charges. He had previously been removed from the United States in 2004, 2009, 2019, and 2021 due to criminal convictions related to immigration, drug, and firearm offenses. This includes two prior convictions for unlawful reentry.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine reaching $250,000. The defendant faces deportation upon completing any imposed sentence. Sentences are determined by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes governing criminal case sentencing.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston announced the development. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Grady from the Major Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.
