A federal grand jury in Greenville, North Carolina has indicted Roberto Almeida-Santos, a 56-year-old Mexican national, on charges of perjury and immigration fraud. The indictment alleges that Almeida-Santos provided false information about his criminal history when applying for a non-immigrant visa with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2021.
According to court documents, Almeida-Santos answered “No” to questions regarding past criminal conduct and participation in sexual offenses on his visa application. However, he had previously faced multiple indictments related to sexual offenses involving minors.
On August 7, 2023, grand juries in both Randolph County and Guilford County Superior Courts charged Almeida-Santos with several counts of statutory sex offense with children under the age of 15 and indecent liberties with a child. These incidents were alleged to have occurred between January 2016 and January 2020.
Subsequently, on August 14, 2024, Almeida-Santos was convicted in Guilford County Superior Court of two counts of sex offense with a child by an adult involving an eight-year-old victim. He received a prison sentence ranging from 18 to 26 years and was ordered to register as a sex offender after confessing to offenses committed between January 24, 2016 through January 23, 2019.
On December 17, 2024, he was also convicted in Randolph County Superior Court of two counts of statutory sex offense with a child under the age of fifteen. He was sentenced to an additional term of imprisonment between sixteen and twenty-five years for these crimes against a fourteen-year-old victim.
The recent federal indictment includes two counts; if found guilty, Almeida-Santos could face up to fifteen years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle announced the charges. ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers are leading the investigation as part of Operation False Haven—a program focused on identifying individuals who obtain immigration benefits through fraudulent means while having serious criminal backgrounds such as child molestation or other major felonies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick is prosecuting the case.
Further details can be accessed via the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina website or through PACER by searching for Case No. [insert].
