St. Thomas, USVI – U.S. Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that a federal jury convicted Joan Manuel Tavarez Bueno, 34, of the Dominican Republic, for re-entry of a removed alien pursuant to 8 U.S.C. § 1326(a). After a three-day trial, the defendant was convicted as charged. The defendant faces a statutory sentence of up to 24 months imprisonment. The Chief District Court Judge, Robert A. Molloy, will schedule a sentencing hearing to determine the sentence to be imposed.
According to court documents and testimony presented at trial, on March 10, 2025, the defendant was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents during the course of an immigration investigation near Red Hook, St. Thomas. The defendant, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was previously removed from the United States as an illegal alien from Miami, FL, on February 13, 2024. He then illegally re-entered the United States through St. John in November 2024 without first obtaining permission from the Secretary of Homeland Security.
This case was investigated by HSI with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys, Erik C. Tate, Kimberly Riley, and Criminal Chief Kyle Payne.
Source: U.S. Attorney’s Office — Virgin Islands — U.S. Department of Justice press release.