July 3, 2007

Peruvian human rights violator receives maximum sentence following ICE investigation

MIAMI- A 46-year-old Peruvian human rights violator who pleaded guilty in May 2007 to making false statements to a federal agency and to visa fraud was sentenced here Friday to the highest possible penalty under the sentencing guidelines following a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) investigation. 

R. Alexander Acosta, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Anthony V. Mangione, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Office of Investigation in Miami, announced today that a federal district court sentenced Telmo Ricardo Hurtado-Hurtado to six months in a federal prison.

Hurtado was arrested by ICE special agents in April 2007 for making false statements on his Dec. 2002 U.S. visa application.  In that application, Hurtado stated that he had never been arrested or convicted of a crime.  In fact, however, Hurtado was convicted in 1993 in Peru on charges of abuse of authority and giving false statements in connection with his involvement in the 1985 Accomarca massacre of suspected guerrillas in Peru, during which 69 villagers were killed.

In sentencing Hurtado to the maximum sentence under the guidelines, U.S. District Court Judge Joan Lenard made clear that “the doors to the United States are not open to foreign torture suspects.”

“Human rights violators who think that they can use the United States as a safe haven should think twice,” said SAC Mangione.

Presently, ICE has charged the defendant with administrative extrajudicial killing, visa fraud, and visa overstay charges. On the basis of these charges, ICE will seek to deport Hurtado from the United States to Peru.  Additionally, the Peruvian government has indicated that Hurtado will face charges of murder and forced disappearance in connection with the 1985 Accomarca massacre.

Mr. Acosta commended the investigative efforts of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Investigations, as well as other agencies involved in this investigation. The criminal case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter Forand.  The administrative ICE case is being handled by Assistant Chief Counsel Gina Garrett-Jackson.

-- ICE --