UTICA, NEW YORK – Marco Avila, age 34, an Ecuadorian citizen living in Newark, New Jersey, was sentenced today to time served (361 days) for transporting an alien.

The announcement was made by United States Attorney Grant C. Jaquith and Robert N. Garcia, Acting Chief Patrol Agent, United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector.

As part of his plea, Avila admitted that on August 27, 2017, he and Julio Morales-Flor drove from New Jersey to the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation to pick up a friend whom they knew was illegally entering the United States from Canada and bring him to New Jersey.  After picking up the friend, Avila was stopped by Border Patrol.  None of the three people in the car had legal status in the United States.

Morales-Flor pled guilty to conspiracy to transport an alien and was sentenced on November 16, 2017 to time served (102 days in jail).

The case was investigated by the United States Border Patrol and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer.