Illegal alien pleads to illegal re-entry after deportation

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Carlos Torruco-Ventura, 30, of Hartsville, S.C., pled guilty Tuesday in federal court in Florence, to illegal re-entry into the United States, a violation of Title 8, U.S. Code, Section 1326(a).

The case was investigated by the Darlington County Sheriff's office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agents.

Evidence presented at the guilty plea hearing established that Torruco-Ventura was deported on Nov. 6, 2003 after a traffic stop in Colorado. Torruco-Ventura was driving a van transporting 13 other undocumented aliens at the time.

In December, 2010, Torruco-Ventura was arrested by the Darlington County Sheriff's office and charged with committing or attempting lewd acts upon a child under 16 years of age. Torruco-Ventura had not received permission to re-enter the United States at the time.

The maximum penalty Torruco-Ventura can receive is a fine of $250,000 and/or imprisonment for two years.

Assistant U.S. Attorney William E. Day, II of the Florence office handled the case.