A Dominican Republic national who had previously been deported and barred from returning to the United States has been sentenced to federal prison after authorities determined he re-entered the country illegally and was living in the U.S. Virgin Islands with a serious felony record.
United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced Thursday that 36-year-old Tommy Walter Ramirez was sentenced to 20 months of incarceration by Chief District Judge Robert Molloy for illegally re-entering the United States after deportation.
According to court documents, Ramirez was apprehended on May 24, 2025, during a joint operation involving Homeland Security Investigations, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the United States Marshals Service. When taken into custody, Ramirez did not have any form of identification. Authorities conducted a biometric fingerprint check, which confirmed his identity and linked him to an alien registration number issued by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
A review of immigration records showed that Ramirez had been deported from the United States on April 22, 2022, and was formally ordered not to return. Investigators found no evidence that he had made any lawful entry into the country following that removal. Court records further established that Ramirez did not possess advance written permission from either the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, authorization that is required for previously deported individuals to legally re-enter the United States.
Authorities also detailed Ramirez’s criminal history while living unlawfully in the territory. Records revealed that he had sustained two felony convictions for conspiring to possess with intent to distribute cocaine during his time in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Natasha Baker.
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