A Dominican national living unlawfully in Dorchester has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegally reentering the United States after being deported three times, according to an announcement on April 16. Wilson Radhames Peguero Brea, also known as Jose Perez Antonio, faces one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien with a prior felony conviction. He is currently in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
This case highlights ongoing efforts to address repeat illegal entries into the country by individuals with significant criminal histories. The U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts enforces federal laws through prosecutions of crimes including national security threats and civil rights violations, according to the official website.
Charging documents state that Peguero has entered the United States illegally at least four times using various aliases, some belonging to U.S. citizens. In 1997, under an alias tied to a citizen victim, he was convicted of drug trafficking. After his first removal from the U.S. in 2005, he allegedly returned illegally multiple times and faced further charges including possession of a fraudulent driver’s license in 2016 and trafficking cocaine and fentanyl while using another alias linked to his Massachusetts criminal history.
In 2021, Peguero was arrested under his true name on charges of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud in federal court. He was convicted on January 11, 2023, sentenced to more than two years in prison, then removed from the country again later that year before allegedly returning once more using false identification documents.
The charge carries a potential sentence of up to twenty years in prison along with supervised release and fines if convicted by a federal district court judge following sentencing guidelines.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley said these details are allegations: “The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.” The office serves all residents across Massachusetts as part of its mandate within the Department of Justice according to its official website.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office operates facilities at Boston’s John Joseph Moakley United States Federal Courthouse as well as branch offices in Springfield and Worcester according to its official website. Employing over two hundred attorneys, paralegals, and staff members statewide according to its official website, it advances community initiatives focused on civil rights protection and violence prevention according to its official website.