A Dominican national with a history of criminal convictions in Massachusetts, who has been deported three times, has been indicted for returning to the U.S.
Radhames Peguero Brea, also known as Jose Perez Antonio, 56, illegally lived in Dorchester and faces one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien with a prior felony conviction, according to U.S. Attorney Leah Foley.
A federal grand jury indicted Peguero Brea on charges of illegally reentering the United States after being deported three times, according to Foley.
He had already been convicted of drug trafficking, aggravated identity theft, and wire fraud, dating back to 1997.
Peguero Brea was originally charged under a criminal complaint in February. He is currently in ICE detention.
According to the criminal documents, Peguero Brea illegally entered the United States at least four times and used a variety of aliases, including that of U.S. citizen victims.
Peguero Brea was convicted of narcotics trafficking in 1997 while using an identity associated with a victim who was a US citizen.
He was deported from the United States in 2005 and then illegally reentered, according to prosecutors.
In 2016, Peguero Brea was arrested and accused with possessing a fraudulently obtained driver’s license. The criminal case remains in default.
He was deported from the United States for the second time in 2016.
Peguero Brea was accused with trafficking cocaine and fentanyl in a criminal case that remains on warrant in Dorchester District Court after allegedly unlawfully entering the United States for the third time, according to authorities.
According to court documents, his criminal past in Massachusetts is linked to his alias, Jose Perez Antonio.
In 2021, Peguero Brea was arrested and prosecuted in federal court under his real name with aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. He was found guilty of both charges on January 11, 2023, and sentenced to more than two years in federal prison.
Peguero Brea was removed from the United States for the third time in 2023, according to prosecutors.
Peguero Brea then illegally reentered the United States a fourth time.
Prosecutors claimed he was stopped by federal immigration and customs enforcement authorities on February 5 while using a fraudulent identity paper.
The charge of unauthorized reentry by an alien with a prior aggravated felony conviction carries a term of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.