In a straightforward turn of events, a Jamaican national has confessed to unlawfully returning to the United States, following his deportation nearly a decade ago. Acting US Attorney Nelson S.T. Thayer, Jr. revealed Marlon Hodges, known also by the alias "Michael Stewart," accepted his guilt concerning illegal reentry after deportation in a federal court session presided over by Judge Anita B. Brody, as per U.S. Attorney's Office.
Hodges' illegal sojourn came to light when authorities flagged his presence in the country in February of last year; he had been ousted back in 2016 but seemingly slipped through the cracks returning at an undetermined time and place, it wasn't until March 6, 2024 that Homeland Security Investigations' Border Enforcement Security Task Force swung into action, tracking Hodges down to a Philadelphia neighborhood at about half-past ten in the morning.
According to a statement by the Department of Justice, investigators witnessed Hodges exiting a dwelling on Walton Avenue then strolling to a nearby store on South 56th Street; when questioned by officials he claimed to be Marlon Hodges, yet he could not produce valid identification and was found with a fraudulent Pennsylvania driver's license bearing his photo and the name 'Michael Stewart.'
The routine check of Hodges' prints confirmed his identity and a deeper dive into his past revealed a significant criminal and immigration record; in 2005, Hodges faced a conviction for a first-degree assault in Orange County, New York, netting him 14 years behind bars and the subsequent immigration woes began with a Notice to Appear in Immigration Court in March of the same year, due to the aggravated felony conviction as his standoff with legal repercussions steadily unraveled culminating to a decree of removal issued in early 2006 leading to his eventual deportation via ICE Air Operations over a decade later.
With his guilty plea now on record, Hodges is slated for sentencing on May 27, while the case itself was brought to light by the cooperation of the HSI Border Enforcement Security Task Force and the efforts of Assistant United States Attorney S. Chandler Harris. Contact details for the US Attorney’s Office Eastern District of Pennsylvania's Press Box were also provided for any further inquiries into the case.
