Las Cruces Hotel Owners Plead Guilty to Aiding and Abetting Undocumented Aliens

LAS CRUCES—U.S. Attorney Kenneth J. Gonzales announced that Elina Sihombing, 47, and David Girle, 55, both of Las Cruces, New Mexico, entered guilty pleas earlier today to an information charging them with two misdemeanor counts of aiding and abetting an undocumented alien to elude examination or inspection under plea agreements with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

At sentencing, Sihombing and Girle could receive up to six months of imprisonment. The defendants remain out of custody on $25,000 secured bonds pending their sentencing hearings, which have not yet been scheduled.

Sihombing and Girle, who were arrested on May 23, 2011, admitted during their plea hearings that they provided lodging, food, and other resources to two Indonesian women to help the women avoid detection by immigration officials. Sihombing and Girle admitted to housing one of the women from March 25, 2007 to January 10, 2010, and the other woman from December 2, 2008 to January 10, 2010 at the couple’s hotel, America’s Best Value Inn on Picacho in Las Cruces. At the time, the two Indonesian women were illegally present in the United States.

Under their plea agreements, Sihombing and Girle agreed to pay $7,800 in restitution to the two Indonesian women; each defendant is also required to pay a $1,000 fine. The United States agreed to dismiss the August 17, 2011 indictment against the defendants at sentencing. The indictment charged Sihombing and Girle with two felony counts of harboring illegal aliens.

The investigation was initiated by the FBI in Las Cruces and the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office. The investigation received assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Las Cruces Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Cárdenas Jarvis in conjunction with the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office.