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 Jose Luis Benitez-Hernandez, age 30, an El Salvadoran national, was sentenced to 14 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge William W. Caldwell for hindering his removal from the United States and assaulting law enforcement officers.
According to United States Attorney Bruce D. Brandler, Benitez-Hernandez was convicted on September 15, 2017, of hindering his removal from the United States and assaulting law enforcement officers following a two-day trial. The charges stemmed from an incident in February 2016, in which Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Officers located Benitez-Hernandez in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania after he failed to leave the United States in accordance with an Immigration Judge’s order.
After identifying Benitez-Hernandez leaving his home in a vehicle, the officers activated their emergency equipment in their vehicles. Benitez-Hernandez failed to stop, charged at one of the vehicles repeatedly, ultimately bumping the front bumper of one of the ICE vehicles. Benitez-Hernandez then refused to exit his vehicle and had to be forcibly removed. Before ultimately being apprehended, Benitez-Hernandez bit one of the ICE Officers and scratched another.
The investigation was conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant United States Attorneys Scott Ford and Daryl Bloom prosecuted the case.
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