Garcia-Lopez

SENTENCING MEMORANDUM FOR DEFENDANT VERONICA GARCIA-LOPEZ

INTRODUCTION

Defendant Veronica Garcia-Lopez was brought to the United States from Mexico when she was nine months old and became a legal permanent resident of this country at age 14. While growing up in Santa Ana, California, she was a victim of sexual and physical abuse. She lost her permanent legal resident status and was deported after being convicted of trafficking 4.2 ounces of cocaine as a young adult. She illegally re-entered the United States, and over the next decade she turned her life around, despite being hampered by a serious medical condition. She was in the midst of a contentions custody battle for her seven-year-old son when the boy’s father reported her to immigration authorities. On August 19, 2009, Ms. Garcia-Lopez pleaded guilty to illegally re-entering the United States in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326 (a) and (b)(2). The United States Sentencing Guidelines (the “Guidelines”) advise a range of 41 to 51 months imprisonment. Having fully considered the advisory Guidelines range and the sentencing factors contained in 18 U.S.C. § 3553 (a), the Court hereby imposes a custodial sentence of six months…