NEWS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES ATTORNEY

WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI

MATT J. WHITWORTH

Contact Don Ledford, Public Affairs ● (816) 426-4220 ● 400 East Ninth Street, Room 5510 ● Kansas City, MO 64106

www.usdoj.gov/usao/mow/index.html

MARCH 5, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

O’FALLON WOMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO

TRANSPORTING ILLEGAL ALIENS

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Matt J. Whitworth, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that an O’Fallon, Mo., woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to transporting illegal aliens.

Alicia Catherine Goebel, 24, of O’Fallon, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge James C. England to the charge contained in a Nov. 18, 2008, federal indictment.

By pleading guilty today, Goebel admitted that she transported 10 illegal aliens between Oct. 30 and Nov. 1, 2008.

Goebel was stopped by a Highway Patrol trooper on Nov. 1, 2008, while traveling in a 2000 Chevrolet Suburban with an Ohio license plate. Goebel was sitting in the front passenger seat, with an Hispanic male driving the vehicle and 10 more Hispanic individuals riding in the passenger and cargo area of the vehicle. The Hispanic individuals were later determined to be illegally in the United States. Goebel told law enforcement officers that they were traveling from Phoenix, Ariz., en route to Chicago, Ill.

Under federal statutes, Goebel is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. Oliver. It was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

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