Man Pleads Guilty To Illegal Re-Entry: Feds

NORWALK, CT — A 41-year-old citizen of Guatemala last residing in Norwalk pleaded guilty Friday to illegally re-entering the U.S. after being deported, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut John H. Durham announced in a press release.

Durham said Hector Ovidio Diaz Garrido pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to one count of re-entry of a removed alien. (To sign up for Norwalk breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

According to court documents, the accused has never held legal status in the U.S., and was deported from the U.S. to Guatemala in June 2011 following a March 2010 conviction in Connecticut Superior Court in Norwalk for felony assault on a police officer, Durham said.

In April 2012, the accused was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol in Weslaco, Texas. His prior order of removal was reinstated and he was again deported to Guatemala, Durham said.

On Nov. 6, 2014, the accused, using the name "Jimy Diaz," was arrested by Norwalk Police and charged with operating under the influence of alcohol, Durham said. He was arrested again on March 20, 2015 by Norwalk Police on a charge of operating a motor vehicle while under suspension, Durham said.

"Diaz Garrido’s true identity was confirmed through fingerprint analysis in November 2018 after he was convicted of operating while under the influence, operating a motor vehicle while under suspension, and three separate counts of failure to appear, and he had served his state sentence," Durham said in a release.

Sentencing is scheduled for May 20, at which time the accused faces a maximum prison term of 10 years, Durham said.