Man Accused Of Smuggling Immigrants To Be Sentenced

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A man accused of helping smuggle hundreds of illegal immigrants into the United States could face up to 10 years in federal prison.

Gustavo Sanchez-Lopez of Guatemala is scheduled to be sentenced Monday afternoon in Los Angeles. He pleaded guilty in June to federal charges of conspiracy to harbor and conceal illegal immigrants.

Sanchez-Lopez and two other men were arrested in January at a home in the south Los Angeles suburb of Lynwood. They allegedly were guarding 37 illegal immigrants inside.

Prosecutors claim the home was a drop house for illegal immigrants from Central and South America, who were threatened with beatings or death unless relatives paid smuggling fees as high as $13,000.

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