New York, NY – A Dominican Republic national with a history of violent crime and repeated illegal entries into the United States has been sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for re-entering the country after multiple deportations and lying to immigration authorities.
Juan Carlos Padilla Santos, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick after prosecutors detailed a decades-long pattern of serious criminal conduct and immigration violations.
Padilla Santos was first deported in 2010 after serving nearly seven and a half years for conspiring to distribute narcotics. Within a year, he returned illegally and was ordered removed in absentia. In 2016, he was convicted of murder in the Dominican Republic and sentenced to 15 years, but instead of serving that sentence, he came back to the U.S. illegally.
In 2018, Padilla Santos was convicted in New York of cocaine possession and bail jumping, leading to a second deportation. The following year, he allegedly faked his own death in the Dominican Republic. In 2021, he illegally re-entered the U.S. for the third time, falsely claiming lawful permanent resident status to border officials and lying on a green card replacement application.
In addition to the prison term, he will serve three years of supervised release. Homeland Security Investigations officials said the case underscores the agency’s commitment to prosecuting dangerous felons who repeatedly flout immigration laws.
Key Points
- Juan Carlos Padilla Santos sentenced to 100 months for illegal re-entry and making false statements
- Criminal history includes narcotics trafficking, murder conviction, cocaine possession, and bail jumping
- Twice deported, once ordered removed in absentia, and accused of faking his own death
A convicted murderer and drug trafficker who repeatedly slipped back into the U.S. will now spend more than eight years behind bars.
