Posted on 10/31/2007 1:04:05 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch
A Texas man who sold stolen identities, some of which allegedly were used by immigrant workers in Hyrum, was sentenced today to three years and a day in prison.
A presentence report recommended a term of almost five years for Eleuterio Gutierrez, who had pleaded guilty earlier to two counts of aggravated identity theft and one count of sale of citizenship papers. However, U.S. District Judge Paul Cassell, citing the man's "reduced intellectual functioning," imposed the lower sentence.
A U.S. citizen who was living in El Paso, the 49-year-old Gutierrez was caught in a nationwide identity theft investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
That probe led to raids in December at six Swift & Co. plants, including one in Hyrum. Nearly 1,300 workers, many of whom were believed to be in the country illegally, were detained, including about 150 in Utah.
Gutierrez and a co-defendant in Logan, Veronica Carrillo, were also picked up. The two were accused of illegally procuring and selling birth certificates and Social Security cards.
Investigators said they intercepted birth certificates and Social Security cards mailed from Texas by Gutierrez to Carrillo in Utah. They said an informant bought documents from Carrillo, who allegedly boasted that she had sold more than 300 U.S. birth certificates.
At the sentencing, defense attorney Sharon Preston said Gutierrez, who didn't finish third grade, is severally intellectually impaired and did not understand the seriousness of his crime.
However, federak prosecutor Michael Kennedy said the scheme was "not unsophisticated."
"It's not acceptable and dangerous for the country," said Kennedy.
The 42-year-old Carrillo was sentenced to 29 months in prison last week and ordered deported to her native Mexico when she completes the term.
pmanson@sltrib.com
Alice: "I don't know, how is a raven like a writing desk?"
Hatter: "I haven't the slightest idea!"
Tea Party ping!
If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.
Charge the guy with treason.
“...scheme...not unsophisticated....”
“...reduced intellectual functioning...”
Somehow I don’t see one individual fitting both descriptions. I wonder if the real perps set up Eleuterio as their fall guy?
D’ya think?
Just one story that represents “A hair on a knat’s butt sittin’ on top of that sq. mile / 200 ft tall iceberg. Wonder what the rest of that booger looks like underneath?”
He was smart enough to do the crime, he's smart enough to do the FULL time. Me thinks it's the judge who has reduced inteleectual functioning.
“Carrillo, who allegedly boasted that she had sold more than 300 U.S. birth certificates.”
29 months of free room and board, then back to her native Mexico!
ping
U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE PAUL G. CASSELL LEAVES BENCH TO RETURN TO LAW FACULTY
http://unews.utah.edu/p/?r=092107-3
“Paul G. Cassell was appointed to the U.S. District Court in the District of Utah by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the United States Senate in May of 2002,...”
Some Are More Equal Than Others - Episode 940.
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