Opinion ID: 6318096
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Massachusetts State Conviction

Text: Silva is a native and citizen of Cape Verde who was admitted to the United States in 1989 as a lawful permanent resident. In September 2017, Silva pleaded guilty in Massachusetts to accessory after the fact in violation of Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 274, § 4. That statute provides that, [w]hoever, after the commission of a felony, harbors, conceals, maintains or assists the principal felon or accessory before the fact, or gives such offender any other aid, knowing that he has committed a felony or has been accessory thereto before the fact, with intent that he shall avoid or escape detention, arrest, trial or punishment, shall be an accessory after the fact. Id. The offense to which Silva pleaded guilty occurred in 2003. The September 2003 indictment that described the offense stated that three men, not including Silva, on April 28, 2003, did assault and beat [the victim] with intent to murder him and by such assault did kill and murder [the victim]. As to Silva, the indictment charged that he, well knowing . . . the [three men] to have committed the felony . . . [,] did harbor, conceal, maintain, assist or give any other aid to the said [three men], with intent that the said [three men] should avoid and escape - 4 - detention, arrest, trial and punishment by driving those three men away from the scene of the murder.2 Silva was sentenced to between four and five years in Massachusetts state prison.