Dominican Man Living in Danbury Sentenced for Illegal Reentry

DANBURY, CT — A citizen of the Dominican Republic who had been living in Danbury was sentenced Wednesday to approximately 15 months of imprisonment, time served, for illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported.

Freddy Antonio Marte-Jerez, 58, first shows up in court documents in 1998, when his wife filed a Petition for an Alien Relative, providing documentation that she was a U.S. citizen and that she and Marte were legally married. Marte next applied for permanent residence, but was denied based upon his failure to disclose a prior narcotics conviction in Rhode Island, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney General's Office.

In November 2000, Marte appeared before an immigration judge in Hartford and was released on bond while awaiting a hearing date.

In October 2007, Marte was convicted in Danbury Superior Court for sale of illegal drugs. On March 3, 2010, following completion of his state sentence, he was deported to the Dominican Republic.

According to court documents, Marte illegally reentered the U.S. and was arrested while using the name "Antonio Nunez" in Danbury. In December 2015, Marte was convicted in Danbury Superior Court of third-degree burglary.

Marte was sentenced to three years in prison, execution suspended, and three years of probation. Based on his use of a false identity, his arrest and conviction did not become known to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to the A.G.'s statement

On March 19, 2018, Marte, using a different identity, was arrested in Danbury for motor vehicle offenses. His true identity was later discovered through a fingerprint comparison, and ICE took him into custody following his release from a state court appearance on June 27, 2018.

Marte has been detained since his arrest. On July 22, 2019, he pleaded guilty to reentry of a removed alien. On Wednesday, Oct. 9, he was released into ICE custody for removal proceedings.