A former priest with a child abuse Conviction that has been stripped of his American citizenship was sentenced to a year in prison, the authorities said on Thursday.
Antonio Velez-Lopez, a 69-year-old Colombian citizen, was given the prison for passport fraud and ordered to be deported after his time, USA Immigration and customs enforcement (Ice) said.
“Child abusers such as Velez who lied about their crimes to become citizens thought they could hide behind those who deserved what they have stolen,” said ICE enforcement and removal operations New Orleans Acting Field office director Scott Ladwig. “They thought that ice should search thousands of records to find them. They were right. That is exactly what we did.”
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Antonio Velez-Lopez, a 69-year-old priest.
“ICE and our partners will ruthlessly defend the integrity of the naturalization process of our nation,” Ladwig added.
On February 19, 2020, Velez was arrested in Maryland and accused of five counts of third -degree sex offenses and one count of the fourth degree sex offense. He argued guilty on May 14, 2021, to sexual abuse of a minor for whom he was temporary responsibility and was sentenced to nine years in prison and ordered himself to register as a sex offender for life.
He admitted sexual abuse A child from June 2003 to June 2009 while he serves as a priest of the child.
Velez entered the United States in 2003 as a temporary religious employee. When he registered a permanent stay on 15 May 2007, he wrongly stated that he “had never consciously committed a crime of moral injustice,” Ice said.
He received a permanent place of residence on November 6, 2007. When he signed up for the American citizenship, he again lied about his criminal history and about lying against American government officials.
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He was naturalized as a American citizen On 29 May 2013. Authorities said that Velez had lied again when he signed up an American passport in 2012.
On 28 February he was stripped of his American citizenship and ordered by a judge to be deported, Ice said.
