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Human Smugglers Sentenced to Prison, $1.1M Judgment

October 03, 2016 (1 min read)

DOJ, Sept. 29, 2016- "54-year-old San Juana Valdez Menchaca and her husband, 57-year-old Julian Perez Perez, were sentenced to 70 months and 33 months in federal prison, respectively, for conspiring to smuggle more than 500 undocumented aliens into the United States announced United States Attorney Richard L. Durbin, Jr., Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Shane Folden in San Antonio, and Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo.

In addition to the prison term, United States District Judge Sam Sparks ordered that the defendants pay a $1.173 million money judgment representing the total amount of criminal proceeds obtained in this case as well as $10,000 in fines ($5,000 for each defendant). Judge Sparks also ordered that the defendants forfeit to the Government their Cedar Creek, TX, residence; approximately $106,390 in cash seized on the day of their arrest; and, approximately $71,000 located in ten bank accounts in an effort to satisfy the money judgment. Judge Sparks also ordered that Valdez Menchaca pay a $2,709 assessment for the cost of her legal representation because she initially told the Court she was indigent. The defendants will also be placed on supervised release for a period of three years after completing their prison terms."