A Guatemalan man living unlawfully in West Springfield, Massachusetts, has pleaded guilty to possessing a forged immigration document and unlawful reentry after deportation. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, 33-year-old Jose Martinez-Lopez, also known as "Amalio Mendez-Molina," entered his plea in federal court on Friday last week.
Martinez-Lopez was arrested earlier this year for assaulting a police officer. During the investigation, authorities found he had a forged permanent resident card. He later admitted to reentering the U.S. in 2021 after a prior deportation in 2011. His record includes a human smuggling conviction in Arizona and previous deportations, as well as prior charges in Illinois and Massachusetts.
U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni has scheduled sentencing for August 20. Martinez-Lopez faces up to 10 years in prison for the forged document charge and up to two years for unlawful reentry. Both charges carry potential fines of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow and was announced by U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston.
