A 31-year-old Dominican national, Julio Pimentel-German, has entered a guilty plea to the charge of unlawful reentry after deportation, as announced by federal authorities in Boston. The plea comes ahead of a sentencing set for September 24, 2024, a date decided by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick.
Pimentel-German, who was indicted by a federal grand jury earlier this year in March, had been deported on June 1, 2021, only to find his way back into the United States at some point following his removal, and it wasn't until his arrest for drug-related offenses in July 2022 that Immigrations and Customs Enforcement caught wind of his presence, leading ultimately to a conviction on September 28, 2023, for possessing and trafficking fentanyl along with possession of an unpermitted firearm among other charges, as detailed on the Justice Department's website.
The admission to the offense of unlawful reentry by Pimentel-German carries a possible sentence of up to two years imprisonment, a subsequent year of supervised release, and could also see him facing fines up to $250,000; these penalties are subject to determination based on U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory considerations.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy, alongside U.S. Customs and Border Protection Field Office Director for Boston, Todd Lyons, has acknowledged the collaborative effort in this case, with notable contributions from the Massachusetts Department of Corrections. Meanwhile, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan of the Major Crimes Unit handling the prosecution is paving the way for what could be a precedent-setting sentence, illustrating the weight of consequences tied to unlawfully reentering the United States.
