A 53-year-old Mexican national, Carlos Gerardo Perez-Munoz, was found guilty by a federal jury of witness tampering in a case overseen by U.S. District Judge Randy Crane. He was convicted after a two-day trial and six hours of deliberation for attempting to intimidate a government witness by warning them not to "snitch," referencing their residence in Mexico and knowledge of their communication with law enforcement, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Evidence presented included photographs of the warehouse where Perez-Munoz worked illegally on a tourist visa and a recorded interview with authorities. The defense argued the threat was fabricated to protect other illegal workers, but the jury unanimously rejected this claim, as reported by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Perez-Munoz is in custody and will be sentenced on February 24, 2026. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin S. Lyles and Patricia Cook Profit, as stated by the U.S. Attorney's Office.
