A Chandler woman who smuggled three underage children into the U.S. has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.
Leeann Ortiz, 28, pleaded guilty in a Tucson court to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for profit.
According to court documents Ortiz and her mother, Otelia Villarreal Larios, attempted to enter the U.S. on January 18, 2007, with three minor children, two boys ages 6 and 7 and a 11-year-old girl. Ortiz told the Customs and Border Protection officials that the children were hers and presented her own children’s birth certificates, social security cards and other documents on their behalf. Officials became suspicious and detained Ortiz and the children.
During questioning the children told officials their true names and admitted that they were going to join their father and brother who had already been living in the U.S. illegally for some time. The three children were turned over to the Mexican Consulate and were eventually reunited with their family, according to court documents.
Ortiz and Larios, her mother and co-defendant, were charged in federal court in Tucson, with conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for financial gain and other federal alien smuggling charges, officials said.
Larios, who said she was the kids’ grandmother, also pleaded guilty to all charges and is awaiting sentencing on July 10.
No comments:
Post a Comment