Lunchroom lady sentenced to prison

A Chula Vista woman who worked out of the lunchroom at the San Ysidro Port of Entry was sentenced Jan. 12 to five years in federal prison for bribery of a public official and two alien smuggling charges.

Irma Cristina Perez, 32, had been free on $100,000 bond, but was remanded into prison after U.S. District Court Judge Janis Sammartino imposed sentence.

Sammartino signed a forfeiture order for $4,000 in cash that goes to the U.S. government along with her 1998 silver Pontiac Grand Prix, which was used in undocumented alien smuggling. She was additionally ordered to pay penalty assessments of $15,400, according to court records.

The investigation started when a U.S. Border Protection officer was introduced to Perez at the lunchroom where she worked. She offered him $4,000 if she could use the officer’s lane to smuggle people into the U.S.
The officer reported the contact to authorities, which sparked the investigation.

“This officer showed strength of character and bravery in coming forward to immediately report this crime,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Alana Robinson in a statement.

“This officer put our nation’s security first, and as a result, a smuggler who boldly attempted to corrupt a public official will be locked up for years,” said Robinson.

Perez pleaded guilty to bribery, and two counts of smuggling a Chinese national and a Brazilian national, both of whom went through the officer’s lane without inspection on Feb. 22, and May 16, 2016.

Perez also admitted to using her children’s U.S. passports for the undocumented people.