DOJ Announces Sentence For Illegal Who Raped Child In Pennsylvania After ICE Detainer Ignored
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(KDKA) – A Honduran man was sentenced to 21 months in prison for re-entering the United States after being deported. The man was previously convicted of raping a young child after the Philadelphia Department of Prisons failed to honor an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer.
The United States Department of Justice announced the sentence for Juan Ramon-Vasquez on Tuesday.
"The facts of this case illustrate all too well the direct threat to public safety caused by the City of Philadelphia's sanctuary city policies," United States Attorney William M. McSwain said. "After the City let this criminal loose on the streets of Philadelphia, he repeatedly raped a young child."
Ramon-Vasquez was deported in May 2009 to Honduras, and was found back in the U.S. in 2014. The City of Philadelphia released Ramon-Vasque despite a detainer lodged by ICE.
According tot h Department of Justice, after his release, Ramon-Vasquez raped a young child, a crime for which he is currently serving a sentence of 8 to 20 years in a Pennsylvania prison.
"If the ICE detainer had been honored by local law enforcement, this crime never would have happened, and the victim would have been spared horrendous physical and mental trauma," McSwain said. "Criminals like Ramon-Vasquez take note: my Office will do everything in its power to find you, to protect our community, and to seek justice for your victims. Unlike the Philadelphia government, we are not on your side."
The case was investigated by ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Josh Davison.
"ICE attempted to remove Ramon-Vasquez once before in March 2014, but the City of Philadelphia refused to honor our detainer and he was released back into the community," said Simona L. Flores, field office director for ERO Philadelphia. "Today's sentencing is a testament to ICE and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania's resolve to seek out, arrest, charge and remove dangerous criminals like Ramon-Vasquez who pose a serious threat to our community."