Maximino Montalvo Salas, a 20-year-old Mexican citizen residing illegally in Charleston, pleaded guilty to possessing a fraudulent Permanent Resident Card. He was sentenced to time served and will be transferred to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody for removal proceedings.
On March 28, 2025, law enforcement officers encountered Salas in Charleston. ICE agents confirmed his illegal status and found he used a counterfeit Immigration Form I-551, also known as a Green Card, to secure employment in the United States.
Acting United States Attorney Lisa G. Johnston announced the plea and sentence while praising the work of ICE-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case under a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on immigration enforcement as part of Operation Take Back America.
Operation Take Back America is an initiative by the Department of Justice aimed at combating illegal immigration, dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protecting communities from violent crime. It coordinates efforts with Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
The press release is available on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
