On Wednesday, December 4, 2024, Josue Raul Ascon-Morales, 36, a Guatemalan national living in the Western District of Pennsylvania illegally, was arraigned following the unsealing of a federal indictment for an immigration violation.
A federal grand jury in the Western District of Pennsylvania returned the indictment, charging Ascon-Morales with one count of illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. Following his arraignment on the charge, the court ordered Ascon-Morales’ detention until his trial.
U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Removal Operations, removed Ascon-Morales from the United States on or around March 18, 2008. On September 1, 2024, the Moon Township Police Department arrested and charged Ascon-Morales with DUI and driving without a license.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended Ascon-Morales on October 22, 2024.
If convicted at trial, Ascon-Morales may face up to two years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Ascon-Morales will face immediate deportation proceedings after completing his federal jail sentence.
“The rules of the court require us to include a statement that states: The charges outlined in this publication are merely accusations, and the defendant and or defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt.”