Former Boston Woman Pleads Guilty to Failing to Appear to Serve a Federal Prison Sentence

BOSTON – A former Boston woman, who was sentenced to federal prison in 2021, pleaded guilty today to failing to surrender to serve her sentence.

Yris Sanchez, 54, pleaded guilty to failing to appear to serve a federal sentence. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for April 11, 2024. Sanchez was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2022 and arrested in Laredo, Texas in March 2023. 

In May 2020, Sanchez was convicted of misusing a passport and was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sanchez requested release on conditions and to self-report to serve her sentence. The Court granted this request and released Sanchez on an appearance bond. Following several extensions of her self-report date, Sanchez failed to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons in June 2021 to serve her sentence. In July 2021, the Court forfeited Sanchez’s secured appearance bond and entered a further default judgment of $47,500 against Sanchez.

The charge of failure to surrender provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Any sentence on this charge will be served consecutively to the sentence imposed on her prior case. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Brian Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Abely, Chief of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.