Third suspect from Kings Mountain ICE raid pleads guilty; convicted of using false ID and Social Security number for employment

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — A man who was in the country illegally pleaded guilty Thursday as part of the raid at a Kings Mountain manufacturing plant in June, the Department of Justice announced.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Western North Carolina, Jose De La Cruz-Lopez, a 43-year-old from Mexico, was charged with misusing a Social Security number and using false identification documents. He was one of eight people charged from the search warrant executed June 25 at Buckeye Fire Equipment Company by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the third to enter a guilty plea. 

The operation, which involved more than a dozen local, state, and federal agencies, resulted in at least 30 people being detained. 

According to plea documents and other court filings, De La Cruz-Lopez, who is not authorized to work in the United States, admitted to obtaining employment at Buckeye Fire Equipment using the Social Security number and personally identifiable information of another individual who is eligible to work in the country. 

He allegedly used that information on false identification documents, which included a driver’s license bearing De La Cruz-Lopez’s image and the name of another individual and a copy of the individual’s Social Security card. 

Court documents show that De La Cruz-Lopez, who had been employed at the company since 2022, falsely attested on the I-9 employment eligibility verification form that he was the person presented on the ID and that he was a citizen of the United States. 

Humberto Guzman Lemus, 32, from Mexico, and Angel Antonio Lara Reyes, 52, from Honduras, have pleaded guilty to illegal reentry and are awaiting sentencing. They were previously deported in 2019 and 2024, respectively. 

“Identity theft is a pervasive problem that can wreak havoc on a victim’s life,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson in a statement. “We take it very seriously, particularly in cases like this where it undermines our employment laws and the integrity of the hiring process. As this investigation continues, we want to remind employers to exercise vigilance and remain alert for counterfeit documents used to establish a worker’s identity and employment eligibility.” 

Charges against others are expected after additional investigation. Here are the remaining current suspects from the operation: 

• Geovany Lopez Lopez, from Guatemala, was previously deported in 2011 after being arrested in NC. ICE records show no evidence he was allowed to return to the U.S legally.
• Enrique Gil Rojano, from Mexico, has a criminal history dating back to the 1990s in California, including a felony perjury conviction. He was deported in 2005 but is now back in the country illegally, federal records show.
• Alberto Perez Mendoza was deported multiple times between 2006 and 2015.
• Arturo Albarras Altunar has a similar history. ICE said he was deported from Texas three separate times in early 2016.
• Angel Antonio Lara Reyes, from Honduras, was deported in 2014. Officials said he re-entered the U.S. unlawfully.

Agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Agency, IRS Criminal Investigations, U.S. Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, Customs and Border Protection, and multiple local agencies participated in the Kings Mountain raid.