A Honduran woman living illegally in the United States has been indicted for failing to surrender to serve her prison sentence, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Leidy Areli Hernandez Lopez, 44, had previously pleaded guilty on May 10, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to her involvement in selling illegal temporary Texas license plates. She was sentenced by U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. to 30 months in federal prison and ordered to pay over $316,000 in restitution.
Lopez was scheduled to report to federal prison by April 9, 2024, but did not comply with this order. Consequently, a federal grand jury issued an indictment on February 20 charging her with failure to surrender. If found guilty of this charge, she could face an additional five years in federal prison.
Currently considered a fugitive, Lopez is subject to an outstanding arrest warrant. Authorities urge anyone with information regarding her location to contact the FBI at 713-693-5000.
The investigation into the case was conducted by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Belinda Beek.
It is important to note that an indictment is merely a formal accusation of criminal conduct and does not constitute evidence of guilt. A defendant remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty through due process of law.