LAS VEGAS — A federal grand jury in Las Vegas has returned a four-count indictment charging a former Henderson Police Department detective with smuggling an individual into the United States, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Nevada announced on Friday, October 30.
Source: U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Nevada
The former detective is Mitchell Lee Wilson. According to the allegations contained in the indictment, from October 2023 to December 30, 2024, Wilson encouraged an individual to unlawfully enter and reside in the United States. On December 30, 2024, Wilson transported the individual into the United States, prosecutors allege. Once the person was illegally in the United States, Wilson hid the individual from law enforcement detection in buildings and other places, according to the indictment.
The four counts
Wilson is charged with one count of encouraging and inducing illegal entry; one count of bringing an alien to the United States other than at a designated port of entry; one count of transporting an illegal alien; and one count of harbouring an illegal alien. The indictment is an allegation, and Wilson is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.
"No one is above the law"
"No one is above the law, especially those who have taken an oath to uphold it," said Sigal Chattah, First Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Nevada. "The indictment of a former detective for smuggling an individual into the United States represents a profound betrayal of the public trust and the thousands of dedicated law enforcement officers who work tirelessly every day to secure our borders. Our office remains steadfastly committed to rooting out corruption at any level and ensuring that anyone who abuses their badge for personal gain is held fully accountable."
"Individuals who knowingly facilitate unlawful entry into the United States and attempt to conceal others from law enforcement undermine the integrity of our immigration system," said Jonathan Sherwin, Deputy Special Agent in Charge for HSI Las Vegas. "HSI Las Vegas remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and hold accountable those who support illegal entry, transportation and harboring schemes."
His own department helped investigate
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations together with the Henderson Police Department — the same department where Wilson served as a detective. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Gaeta is prosecuting the case. The indictment was also reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, KLAS 8 News Now and the Las Vegas Sun, the three main news outlets covering Clark County.
Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal / KLAS / Las Vegas Sun, via U.S. Event Monitor
Background: Henderson and the smuggling laws
Henderson is one of the largest cities in Nevada, a fast-growing suburb in Clark County immediately southeast of Las Vegas, and its police department is one of the biggest municipal forces in the state. Federal smuggling law — the set of offences prosecutors grouped in this indictment — covers the whole chain of an unlawful entry: encouraging a person to come, bringing them in away from a legal border crossing, moving them once inside the country, and hiding them from the authorities. Prosecutors allege Wilson personally carried out every one of those steps for one individual over a period of more than a year, while holding — or having held — a detective's badge in the city where the person was allegedly hidden.
The Justice Department's announcement does not name the person who was allegedly smuggled, does not say where the entry took place, and does not publish the possible sentence for each count. Awaaz Punjab is reporting only what the indictment, as announced, contains — and will update this story if a fuller court filing becomes public.
What happens next
A jury trial is scheduled for January 25, 2027, before U.S. District Judge Cristina D. Silva in Las Vegas. Before that, Wilson will be arraigned on the indictment and the court will set the usual pre-trial schedule for motions and evidence. If convicted, his sentence would be set by the court under federal law; the Justice Department announcement did not state a sentencing range, and no plea has been reported.