HARRISBURG — This is an official press release from the U.S. Department of Justice (USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle), published as received.

HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Carlos Hernandez-Mejia, age 29, a citizen of El Salvador, Eduardo Hernandez-Lara, age 32, Anabel Maganda-Marcial age 37, and Miguel Salazar-Gomez, age 33, citizens of Mexico, were indicted separately today by a federal grand jury in Harrisburg on illegal re-entry charges.

According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, Hernandez-Mejia was previously convicted of an aggravated felony and removed from the United States in 2008.  He was in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania at the time he was taken into custody.  The maximum penalty under federal law is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

This matter was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  Prosecution has been assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph J. Terz.

Hernandez-Lara was taken into custody in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania and was allegedly previously deported from the United States in 2007.  The maximum penalty under federal law is 2 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

Maganda-Marcial was taken into custody in York, Pennsylvania and was allegedly previously removed from the United States in 2006.  The maximum penalty under federal law is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

Both matters were investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and prosecution has been assigned to Assistant U.S. Attorney James T. Clancy.

Salazar-Gomez illegally re-entered the United States allegedly after having previously been deported in 2004, 2005 and 2014.  Salazar was arrested in March of this year in Adams County and taken into the custody of the Department of Homeland Security.  The maximum penalty under federal law is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine.

This matter was investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).  Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Zubrod has been assigned to prosecute the case.

Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

A sentence following a finding of guilty is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant’s educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.

 

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