Opinion ID: 69769
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Rearraignment

Text: Garcia was charged in a one-count indictment with a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2), which makes it a crime for any person, in any matter within the jurisdiction of the executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States, [to] knowingly and willfully... make[] any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation. Specifically, the indictment charged that Garcia did knowingly and willfully make a materially false, fictitious and fraudulent statement and representation in that [he] said that the female passenger in the vehicle he was driving was a United States citizen when in truth and in fact, [he] knew that the female passenger was a citizen of Mexico and that [his] false statements were attempts to aid the female passenger's entry into the United States, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2). (Emphasis added). At Garcia's rearraignment, the district court explained the elements of the offense to Garcia as follows: Mr. Garcia, if you were to proceed to trial on the single-count Indictment, for you to be convicted of having made a false material statement, the Government would be obligated to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that you did knowingly and willfully make a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation, that you said that the female passenger in the vehicle which you were driving was a United States citizen, that you knew that the female passenger was a citizen of Mexico, and that you falsely made the statement in an attempt to aid the female passenger's entry into the United States. (Emphasis added). The district court then instructed the government to read the contents of the factual basis into the record. In pertinent part, the factual basis, as recited by the government, alleged that Garcia [had] stated to the United States Customs and Border Protection officer that [his] female passengers were United States citizens. Garcia and the passengers of the vehicle were referred to the secondary inspection area. In the secondary inspection area, Garcia admitted to the United States Customs and Border Protection officer that he knew that one of the passengers was not a citizen of the United States but a citizen of Mexico with no documents to legally enter or remain in the United States. When the district court asked Garcia whether he agreed with the government's recitation of the factual basis, Garcia answered that everything in the factual basis was correct. Garcia then pleaded guilty to the one-count indictment without a plea agreement.