Unauthorized Immigrant Sentenced to 90 Days in Prison for Threatening U.S. Attorney with a Knife

Incident Involving Deported Individual in New York

Saul Morales Garcia, a 40-year-old man previously deported from El Salvador, has been sentenced to just 90 days in jail following an incident where he allegedly threatened a lawyer in the Upstate District of New York while brandishing a knife.

The lawyer, John A. Salcone III, reportedly left a hotel when Morales Garcia confronted him, shouting threats in Spanish and waving the knife. In light of this, Salcone returned to the safety of the hotel.

As part of a plea deal, Morales Garcia pled guilty to making a second-degree threat. This arrangement assures him a significantly reduced sentence of 90 days in jail, and he is required to stay away from Salcone.

The Albany County District Attorney’s Office decided to drop the attempted murder charges against Morales Garcia, stating that the available surveillance footage did not meet the necessary legal standards for such serious accusations.

It’s been reported that Morales Garcia, along with others, was homeless and had been living under a bridge in Albany County after making a bike journey from Georgia to the sanctuary state.

Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) is attempting to detain Morales Garcia, hoping to gain custody despite New York’s sanctuary policies protecting certain individuals from deportation.

Back in 2009, Morales Garcia had faced misdemeanor charges for theft in Arlington, Virginia, and was later arrested by ICE agents the following year. A federal immigration judge ordered his removal, leading to his deportation.

After being sent back to El Salvador in December 2021, he was charged again for illegal re-entry after crossing the border and for driving violations in Monroe County, Georgia.

In 2023, Morales Garcia was arrested by US Parks police for various offenses, including threats against pedestrians and public intoxication. The following year added a misdemeanor retail theft charge to his record in Upper Marion, Pennsylvania.