Desert Morning News
OREM, Utah -- Federal government officials are starting the legal process to confiscate four Utah County homes they say were havens for illegal immigrants and illicit drug activity.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for Utah says Medarda Doylit Cervantes, 50, from Peru, owned four homes in Provo, Orem, Lindon and Pleasant Grove that she rented to illegal immigrants.
Two people who lived in one of those homes recently pleaded guilty in 4th District Court to possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute after police linked them to nearly 150 pounds of marijuana found in one of Cervantes' homes.
Homero Ruiz and Sabina Bustamante-Taffolla pleaded guilty June 28 and will be sentenced Aug. 9.
The two were also charged in 3rd District Court with possession with the intent to distribute, said West Jordan Police Sgt. Greg Butler.
The West Jordan Neighborhood Narcotics division made the arrests on May 1, which also led to 11 illegal immigrants being deported back to Mexico.
But it wasn't the marijuana that got Cervantes in trouble.
As they investigated the drug bust, however, officials discovered that Cervantes, the homeowner, was using nearly a dozen names and half-dozen different identification cards.
That included her use of a Social Security card to get a job and buy property in Lindon.
Officials also learned that Cervantes had illegal immigrants as tenants at a duplex in Provo, as well as a fourplex in Orem. The fourth property was in Pleasant Grove.
Posted by tyne at July 12, 2007