Calva, 41, of Houma, La., was sentenced to 33 months in prison and one year of supervised
release for harboring aliens. U.S. District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote sentenced Calva today
in federal court in Lafayette, La.
Calva pleaded guilty in February of 2012 and admitted that from approximately
March of 2008 through December of 2009, she assisted over 400 people in obtaining
Louisiana identification cards. In order to obtain an identification card, an individual
needs a document to prove Louisiana residency. Individuals in need of documents would
contact Calva by phone and she would instruct them to meet her at a McDonald’s in
Morgan City. She also instructed them to bring whatever identification documents that
they had. Once she received payment of $400.00, Calva would provide the illegal alien
with proof of residency, which usually was her address in Houma, La. She would then
follow the individual to the Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) where she assisted and served
as a Spanish translator for each person.
At the plea hearing, Calva acknowledged that she lied when she told OMV
employees that she worked for a company that brought in seasonal workers and told them
that the address provided on the documents was a large bunkhouse which could
accommodate many workers. OMV records show that approximately 400 people provided
her address in Houma, La. as their residence.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and was
prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James T. McManus.
Post a Comment
