A man from Honduras has been slapped with charges by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for illegal re-entry into the United States after prior removal, as announced today by U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan. The indictment targets one Saul Enrique Padilla-Mejia, age 38.
Initially deported on August 13, 2019, Padilla-Mejia found himself in hot water again after being arrested on February 4 by the Pennsylvania State Police on various charges, including driving under the influence, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office press release. Driving without a license, reckless driving, careless driving, and failing to obey traffic control devices are also piled on his rap sheet. When the Moon Township Police Department arrested him on September 1, the illegal re-entry charge awaited him.
After being taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on October 30, Padilla-Mejia appeared yesterday before a federal court. Pending his trial, he was ordered detained. The indictment could result in up to two years of imprisonment and a fine that might reach $250,000, or even both, per the law’s maximum penalties. However, the actual sentence would be based on the offense's seriousness and the defendant's prior criminal history, as cited by the source.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca L. Silinski is hard at work prosecuting the case against Padilla-Mejia. In the meantime, the investigation that led to Padilla-Mejia's indictment, jointly conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Pennsylvania State Police, is pursued vigorously.
