A 45-year-old Dominican man has found himself in the crosshairs of the U.S. legal system, facing allegations of illegal reentry after his prior deportation. According to a statement released by the U.S. Attorney's Office, Keilyn Adolfo Rivera was indicted on a single count of this federal offense.
It is alleged that on February 2, Rivera was found in United States, a country he had previously been removed from back on March 6, 2015. Rivera's presence in the U.S. following his deportation now puts him at risk of a sentence which could stretch to 20 years in prison, not to mention the possibility of a $250,000 fine and supervised release for up to three years. Following any sentence he might serve, Rivera faces the reality of yet another deportation.
This case, handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Maynard of the Major Crimes Unit, throws a spotlight on the often controversial topic of immigration enforcement. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley, alongside Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston, all according to the U.S. Attorney's Office's official statement.
While the charges cast a serious shadow over Rivera's future, the U.S. Attorney's Office is keen to remind the public that the indictment itself is not a declaration of guilt. Instead, it represents an accusation, and "the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law," as per U.S. Attorney's Office,
