Luis Miguel Hernandez-Flores, a 37-year-old citizen of El Salvador, has been indicted in federal court on charges of possessing a firearm as 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 U.S. Courthouse in Tallahassee for his arraignment.
If found guilty, Hernandez-Flores could face up to 15 years in prison and may be subject to deportation after serving any sentence.
The investigation involved several agencies, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Gadsden 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 prosecution falls under Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), an initiative by the Department of Justice that combines resources from Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN) to address illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and combat violent crime nationwide.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is among 94 offices across the country acting as principal litigators for the federal government under direction from the Attorney General. Further information about public court documents can be found on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website or by visiting http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
