Jose Raul Maita, a 55-year-old citizen of Ecuador, pleaded guilty on April 9 before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to unlawful reentry of a removed alien, according to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
Maita's case is significant due to his history of previous deportations and criminal convictions in the United States. The plea comes as part of ongoing efforts by federal authorities to address illegal immigration and related offenses.
Court documents show that Maita was granted legal permanent resident status in June 1996 after marrying a U.S. citizen. In February 1998, he was convicted in New York for first-degree sexual abuse involving forcible compulsion against a nine-year-old victim and sentenced to five years' probation with sex offender registration requirements. He later faced additional convictions for failing to register as a sex offender and driving while intoxicated, leading to incarceration and his first removal from the country in October 2003.
After illegally returning, Maita was again convicted on charges including operating under the influence and failure to register as a sex offender before being removed once more in August 2009 following another conviction for unlawful reentry. Authorities report that he unlawfully returned again and was arrested by Connecticut State Police on September 20, 2025, under an alias for motor vehicle violations involving alcohol or drugs.
A criminal complaint charging unlawful reentry was issued by the U.S. District Court in New Haven on November 4, 2025; Maita was located by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers on March 18, 2026, in Waterbury where he has remained detained since his arrest.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 2 before Judge Oliver; Maita faces up to twenty years imprisonment if convicted at sentencing. The investigation is being conducted by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations with prosecution led by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
This case falls under Operation Take Back America—a Department of Justice initiative focused on combating illegal immigration and transnational crime.
