A former Henderson police detective has been indicted on four federal charges accusing him of smuggling a person into the United States and then hiding that person from law enforcement. Mitchell Wilson, who once wore a badge for the Henderson Police Department, was indicted by a Las Vegas grand jury on charges connected to bringing a foreigner into the country unlawfully.
According to a release from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Wilson and the person began communicating in October 2023, more than a year before he allegedly transported them into the United States on December 30, 2024. As reported by the Las Vegas Sun, prosecutors say Wilson then concealed the person from law enforcement detection after their entry into the country.
Wilson is charged with one count of encouraging and inducing illegal entry, one count of bringing an alien to the U.S. other than at a designated port, one count of transporting an illegal alien, and one count of harboring an illegal alien, according to a Department of Justice announcement. The federal statute under which such harboring and transportation charges are typically brought applies when someone acts knowingly or in reckless disregard of a person's unlawful immigration status, according to the relevant section of the U.S. Code.
Officials Call It a Betrayal of the Badge
Sigal Chattah, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Nevada, said the indictment represented a profound betrayal of public trust and dedicated law enforcement officers. “No one is above the law, especially those who have taken an oath to uphold it,” Chattah said, per the same release.
Chattah added that her office remains committed to rooting out corruption and holding accountable anyone who abuses a badge for personal gain. The comments underscore that Wilson's former role as a Henderson detective is central to how prosecutors are framing the case.
Homeland Security Investigations Weighs In
Jonathan Sherwin, Deputy Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Las Vegas, said people who knowingly facilitate unlawful entry and conceal others from law enforcement undermine the integrity of the immigration system. His statement, included in the same DOJ release, frames the case as part of a broader federal effort targeting those who exploit positions of trust to skirt immigration law.
A jury trial in Wilson's case is scheduled for January 25, 2027, with United States District Judge Cristina Silva assigned to preside over the proceedings.
