Luis Miguel Hernandez-Flores, a 37-year-old citizen of El Salvador, has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Hernandez-Flores appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, for his arraignment.
If convicted, Hernandez-Flores could face up to 15 years in prison and deportation proceedings after serving any sentence.
The investigation involved multiple agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Gadsen County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen is prosecuting the case.
“An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial,” according to the statement.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), which coordinates resources from several Department of Justice initiatives such as Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) to address illegal immigration and related violent crime across the country.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida serves as one of 94 offices under the direction of the Attorney General. Public court documents can be accessed online through the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. More information about this office can be found at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
