Mexican Man Illegally Residing In West Virginia Pleads Guilty & Sentenced For Immigration Fraud
Saturday, August 16, 2025, 7:45 A.M. ET. 2 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,
CHARLESTON, W.VA.- A 21-year-old Mexican national unlawfully present in West Virginia will be turned over to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to be removed from the United States, after pleading guilty and being immediately sentenced on Thursday, for a federal immigration violation.
According to Acting U.S.Attorney Lisa G. Johnston, on Thursday, August 14, 2025, Julio Cesar Ruiz-Perez, 21, of Mexico, illegally residing in Charleston, West Virginia, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Irene C. Berger to Possession of a Counterfeit Social Security Card with the Intent to Defraud the United States.
Immediately after entering his guilty plea, Judge Berger sentenced Ruiz-Perez to time served and remanded him to the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officials to be removed from the United States back to Mexico.
According To The Charging Information Filed With The Court
According to the charging information filed with the District Court, on April 11, 2025, during a joint investigation, local, state, and federal law enforcement Officers executed a court-authorized search warrant at a Charleston, West Virginia, residence. During the search, Officers encountered Ruiz-Perez inside the residence. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents confirmed that Ruiz-Perez was a citizen of Mexico and was illegally present in the United States.
During His Arrest, Ruiz-Perez Had A Fake Social Security Card
During Ruiz-Perez’s arrest procedure, Agents and Officers found a counterfeit Social Security card in his name. Ruiz-Perez had no legal authorization or identification documents granting him legal status to be in the United States. Further investigation uncovered that Ruiz-Perez possessed a fraudulent Social Security card in his scheme to deceive the United States for the purpose of illegally gaining employment.
   Acting U.S. Attorney Johnston commended the investigative work of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which led to the successful apprehension and prosecution of Ruiz-Perez.Â
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