DC Criminal Lawyer Blog

A recent crackdown on criminal immigrants resulted in the arrests of 87 people in Washington DC and Virginia. Two United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) surges involving 70 ICE agents and US Marshals discovered 12 immigration fugitives and 75 other foreign nationals with criminal records.

An "immigration fugitive" is someone who has been ordered to leave the United States but remains in the country illegally. Six of those arrested will require a DC Federal Criminal Lawyer as they face federal charges for illegal re-entry to the United States after formal deportation proceedings.

Some of the immigration fugitives are subject to immediate removal; others have pending federal criminal charges for which they must stand trial prior to deportation.

The remaining arrested immigrants have either criminal convictions or pending criminal charges. They are subject to losing their immigration status and being forced to leave the nation. Some of the criminal charges against these individuals include felony drug and weapons charges, DUI, and theft.

Ironically, just days after the ICE arrests, an illegal immigrant with two DUI convictions in the past three years was arrested on suspicion of DUI in a fatal Virginia accident that claimed the life of a Benedictine nun. The case raised questions about why the driver, Carlos Montano, was able to remain in the United States after it was discovered that he was in the country illegally and had multiple criminal convictions.

Henry Lucero, head of ICE's Washington DC enforcement operations, said of the arrests, "A top priority for ICE is to locate and arrest convicted criminal aliens and ultimately remove them from our country in a safe and humane manner. Those who come to the United States to prey upon communities ... will be prosecuted for their crimes and ultimately returned to their home countries."

According to ICE spokesman Cori Bassett, the recent arrests were the result of immigration enforcement focusing on immigrants who were already being investigated, and not the result of random sweeps.

This article is presented by The Law Offices of David Benowitz, a criminal and DUI defense firm serving Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. For more information, please visit our Virginia Criminal Lawyer website or Maryland DUI Lawyers blog.

Authorities continue to search for a DC convicted criminal who has evaded justice for the past five years. William Bennett Brown, 50, is wanted on three outstanding warrants in Washington DC. Brown is wanted for violating his parole for drug charges in 1992, escaping from a halfway house in 1995, and distributing cocaine in 1996. These outstanding warrants will not be the first for which Brown has needed the counsel of a DC criminal lawyer. In addition to the crimes for which he has outstanding warrants, Brown has an extensive criminal history.

Brown's criminal record includes arrests for assault, burglary, and fraud. According to Deputy Marshal Shane Clark, Brown "is a proven threat to the community and we need to get him off the streets." Clark adds, "This guy simply refuses to conform to the rules of society."

This is not the first time in recent history that US marshals have asked for the public's help in locating a fugitive. On May 24, a fugitive sex offender turned himself in to authorities after The Washington Examiner ran a story saying marshals believed the man was hiding in DC. Larry Donnell Cotton, 43, was wanted for his second offense of failure to register as a sex offender. His criminal history also includes the sexual assault of a minor, assault and battery, burglary, and weapons offenses. When he turned himself in, Cotton did not know that he was recently indicted in DC federal court for failing to register as a sex offender and then crossing state lines. His federal charge could result in a longer prison sentence. A DC criminal defense attorney will guide Cotton through the judicial process to make sure his rights are protected.

This article is presented by The Law Offices of David Benowitz, representing clients in Washington DC, Maryland and Virginia. For more information, please visit our Maryland Drug Lawyers and Virginia Drug Attorneys websites.